


Be My Forever

by NuwandaSnicket



Series: Carry On [4]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: AU, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe- No Supernatural, Childbirth, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Humour, M/M, No M-Preg, Slice of Life, Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-08
Updated: 2016-04-25
Packaged: 2018-03-06 19:06:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 33
Words: 92,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3145241
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NuwandaSnicket/pseuds/NuwandaSnicket
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Now married and with a house and jobs, Dean and Castiel decide its time to take the next step: children.  But it's far more complicated than they had expected.</p><p>You're my bright blue sky<br/>You're the sun in my eyes<br/>Baby, you're my life<br/>You're the reason why<br/>Darling, swear you'll stand right by my side<br/>Be my forever.</p><p>~'Be My Forever', Christina Perri</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter picks up right where the epilogue of 'Every Color in the World' left off, so you may want to reread that to refresh your memory.
> 
> Also, I write Dean as a blonde. Young Jensen was pretty damn blonde. Deal with it. :P

Dean lay back against Castiel, eyes shut happily, basking in the warmth of the tub and of Cas’ wet skin against his. He was seated between Cas’ legs, the other man’s arms around him….his customary spot. One tradition that had followed them home from their college apartment was the deep, claw-footed tub. The two had fallen in love with it and it had been at the top of their list of requirements when they were searching for houses.

He twitched as Cas gently traced the rim of his ear with one fingertip. “What.”

“Nothing.” Cas’ voice was soft. “Just happy.”

Dean smiled. “Me too.” He glanced up, looking to Cas. “So….how do you want to do this?”

Cas raised a brow. “Do what? Have a kid?” Dean nodded. “Well, I’m pretty sure the traditional method is out…”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I’m pretty sure it is.” He grinned. “Not that we have to tamp down the sex. That can keep going.”

“Oh, good. I’m glad you approve.”

“Oh, I do.” Dean shifted, rolling over enough so he could see Cas. It was a tight fit but the tub was large enough to accommodate both of them. “Well, there’s the surrogate option.” He bit his lower lip, eyes lowering. “…..or we could adopt.”

It was easy to see, painfully easy, that Dean wanted to do the latter, and Cas knew why. With Dean’s past, his father raising him and Sam the way he had, then Ellen finally stepping in and adopting them, giving them a better life? Why _wouldn’t_ Dean want to do the same for some poor child? Cas stroked his cheek and Dean looked up at him, something so hesitant in those green eyes. “That’s what you want to do,” he asked softly, “isn’t it.”

Dean nodded. “I mean…..as nice as it would be to have a kid that’s ours by blood, I’d rather be able to give a home to someone who doesn’t have one. Some child whose parents couldn’t keep it, or don’t give a damn about it, like mine.”

Cas felt his heart ache. “Dean…” Dean wasn’t looking at him; Cas cupped his cheek. “Your mother loved you. At one time your father did, too. At some point he lost his way, and that is NOT your fault, that’s his. He’s an asshole and you deserve better. You HAVE better. You have a new family with Ellen, Bobby, and Jo, and you’ll ALWAYS have Sammy. And even though she’s gone, you will always have your mom. ALWAYS.”

Dean’s eyes were shining, and Cas would bet good money he was holding back tears. He pressed close, kissing Cas. “I love you,” he whispered.

Cas smiled, stroking his cheek. “I love you, too. More than anything.”

Dean was smiling now. “You forgot someone.”

Cas’ brow furrowed. “Forgot?”

“You.” Dean ran his fingers through Cas’ messy hair. “ _You’re_ my family.”

“Oh, well that’s a given.”

Dean laughed. “Oh, well okay, then.” He smiled. “And our soon-to-be kid.” Cas nodded, smiling, and there was a light in his eyes that made Dean’s heart flutter. He gave the brunette another kiss. “How bout we get out of here before we start to prune?”

Cas chuckled. “Sounds like a plan.”

They climbed from the tub, Cas laughing as he allowed Dean to towel his hair dry, messing it more than usual, if that was even possible. Then, wrapping themselves up in fluffy dry towels, they headed into the bedroom and flopped into the mattress.

“So.” Cas stared up at the ceiling, thinking. “Tomorrow? Start going over the process for adoption?”

Dean rolled over onto his side, smiling at Cas. “That sounds _wonderful_.”

Cas turned to face Dean, beaming as he took Dean’s hand, lacing their fingers together. A thought occurred to him and he grinned. “Hey. Now we’ll finally have a use for that spare room.”

Dean burst out laughing. Cas smiled. “What….what’s so funny?”

Dean just shook his head. “Nothing. I’m just so happy.”

Cas stroked Dean’s cheek, happiness in every inch of his face. “Me too, baby. Me too.”

 

**~*~**

 

The trip to the adoption agency had been….interesting, to put it mildly. They had been the only gay couple there, though there was a pair of lesbians, who smiled at them. Most of the other couples there seemed to take them in stride, and the single mothers….well, they were a mixed bag. Some seemed personally offended, as if Dean and Cas had done something to wrong them, a few seemed to think the boys were cute (it reminded Cas of Becky, though without the fangirling), and some seemed to not care one way or another.

Cas honestly wasn’t sure what to expect. He had done a bit of research on the internet of what the adoption process entailed but it wasn’t that helpful. He considered himself a fairly smart person but it was all pretty confusing. 

Luckily the agent was nice enough, greeting them with a friendly smile and explaining slowly enough for them to follow. The process was more complicated than he’d thought, and was going to take longer. He and Dean were going to need to fill out a sort of profile detailing their personalities and lives—their jobs, interests, hobbies---they also needed to give full details on their family history and health background, including mental health. An adoption all depended on the birth mother finding them appropriate based on this criteria. She could dislike something as simple as one of their interests…say _Lord of the Rings_ ….and decide she didn’t want her child being raised by geeks. That seemed _extremely_ unlikely and Cas fervently hoped that didn’t happen, but it could.

Then a social worker would visit their home to speak to them, to discuss why they wanted to adopt and decide if they were ready for a child….also to inspect the house and see if it was child appropriate and childproof. Only after they were deemed acceptable would their information even be made _available_ to birthmothers. Then the waiting began. Waiting to find out if someone found them suitable…..if someone chose them to adopt their child.

Then, if they were REALLY lucky, they would be allowed to be involved in the process…..be there at the birth. Not in the room, but waiting in the hospital so they could see their child as soon as he or she was born.

Castiel’s head was swimming by the time the social worker was done speaking; it was so much to take in. But at the same time he was full of flutters of excitement. This was their _child_ they were talking about…..their future child. He glanced at Dean and could immediately tell that the man felt the same way. He was trying to suppress his smile, but the excitement was clear in those green eyes; he looked to Cas and that smile broke free.

“So.” The woman’s voice stirred Cas and he turned his attention back to her. She smiled. “Do you want to fill out the paperwork?”

 

**~*~**

 

The door to their house had barely shut behind them before Cas collapsed back against it. Dean looked at him. “Tired?”

Cas nodded. “Exhausted.” Dean leaned in for a kiss and he pressed into it, smiling when they separated. “but wonderfully so.”

Dean laughed. “I know the feeling.” He took hold of the front of Cas’ shirt. “C’mon. Let’s get in our pajamas. Been a long day.”

Cas allowed Dean to drag him to the bedroom, lifting his arms obediently to allow Dean to strip him of his shirt. “So much paperwork,” he murmured. Dean chuckled.

“I know.” He looked so happy. “But it was worth it.”

“ _More_ than worth it.” Cas took Dean’s hand, tugging him into bed with a grin. “First step’s done, now.”

Dean snuggled into his customary position with his head on Cas’ chest, and Cas could hear the smile in his voice. “Yup. Now we just wait.”

“Yup.” Cas paused. “….and childproof the house.”

Dean burst out laughing. “And childproof the house,” he agreed. “And turn that spare room into a nursery.”

“Oh, right.” Cas had almost forgotten.

“I have some thoughts on how to do that.”

“Oh, do you.” Cas stroked Dean’s hair.

“Oh yea.” Dean glanced up at him, grinning. “Don’t worry, you’ll like them. You get to paint.”

“Oh. I like it already.”

Dean laughed and snuggled closer, so happy. Cas pulled Dean tight against him, kissing his forehead and thought, definitely not for the first time, that he was the luckiest man in the world.

 

**~tbc~**


	2. Chapter 2

Cas came home from work completely exhausted. The kids had run him ragged that day. On days like this he wondered why he had chosen to teach such little children, but he knew the answer. He loved it. He truly did. And soon he and Dean would have one of their own. The thought made him smile, his whole face aglow.

Cas could hear pounding noises even before he got in the front door. “Dean?” He shut the door behind him. “Dean?” The noises stopped and Dean appeared before him, flushed, work gloves on. Cas opened his mouth to ask what Dean was doing but Dean spoke up quickly.

“Promise you won’t be mad.”

Oh that was NEVER a good start. Cas looked warily at Dean, who repeated “promise?”

“….I promise…”

Dean nodded once, accepting the answer, and gestured for Cas to follow him down the hall. Cas did so, but he stopped dead at what he saw there.

Dean had clearly spent his entire day demolishing the wall on one side of the spare room, soon to be the nursery. Now there was a large round hole in the wall, almost like….

“….Dean,” Cas managed at last. “Did you build our child a hobbit hole?”

Dean grinned, nodding. “Yea.” Then the smile faded and he frowned anxiously. “Is it okay? I thought it’d be cool…” But his words were cut off as Cas pulled him close, kissing him fiercely.

“I _love_ it,” Cas said breathlessly. 

Dean laughed. “Yea?”

Cas nodded fervently, moving closer to examine Dean’s work. “How did you even DO this?”

Dean rubbed the back of his neck in that awkward way he had whenever he was embarrassed. “It wasn’t hard.”

“It LOOKS hard.”

“…but it looks good, right?”

Cas straightened up, smiling at Dean. “It looks AMAZING.”

Dean was flushed with happiness. “Good.”

Cas pondered the hobbit hole. “Why didn’t you just alter the door that’s already there?”

Dean shook his head. “Couldn’t.” He gestured to the way the hobbit hole opened several inches above the ground. “A kid can’t walk through this. They could trip. It’ll be more for us….until they get big enough to use it. So we’ll keep the regular door.”

Throughout the entire speech, Cas’ smile was growing. Dean blinked when he became aware of it, flushing self-consciously. “What.” 

Cas kissed him. “You think of _everything_.”

Dean only blushed more. “Well, we’re child-proofing, aren’t we?” He looked at the door. “….think she’ll like it?”

Cas cocked a brow at him. “She?” he echoed. “What makes you so sure we’re going to have a girl?”

Dean shrugged. “I’m not. I just…. _feel_ like we are. I don’t know. Silly.” Cas chuckled, moving to Dean and slipping his arms around his neck.

“Well. I guess we should start working on names, then….shouldn’t we.”

Dean’s face broke into a smile. “Yea?”

Cas gave him a soft kiss. “Yeah.” 

Dean gestured behind him to the room. “You’re gonna have a lot of painting to do in there.” At those words, Castiel’s face lit up.

“Really??”

“Of course really! No hobbit hole is complete without some decoration.”

The expression on Cas’ face was wonderful to see. Dean could tell that thoughts were buzzing through his head, ideas of what to do. “I can do murals….make the whole thing look like the inside of a house….”

Dean smiled, stroking his hair. “It’ll be gorgeous no matter WHAT you do.”

Somehow Cas heard those words through his art-fueled haze and he kissed Dean. “I love you.”

Dean tugged a lock of that lovely brown hair. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

Cas let out a growl of frustration that Dean could hear from several rooms away. He padded down the hall, poking his head into the nursery. “Everything okay, babe?”

Cas was surrounded by paints and brushes. His clothes were covered in paint and he had some smudged on his face and arms as well. All in all he looked adorable, right down to the expression of consternation on his face. “No, everything is NOT okay. This is looking _terrible!_ ”

Dean entered the room, looking at the mural Cas was painting on the wall. He was making the inside of the room look like the inside of a hobbit house, and honestly it looked beyond gorgeous. Dean seriously had the most ridiculously talented husband ever. “Cas, it looks _amazing_.”

“Terrible.”

“Oh, shut up.” Dean plopped to the floor and, sitting Indian-style, pulled Cas’ sketchbook into his lap, beginning to draw. He was a horrible artist and they both knew it. Still, he did a little drawing and held it up. “Look. I drew you and me.”

Cas looked down at Dean, irritated, but every trace of that frustration vanished from his face as soon as he saw Dean’s sketch; he burst into laughter.

“You’re impressed, aren’t you,” Dean asked. “Sad too, I bet. Don’t feel bad, Cas….we can’t all have talent like mine.”

Cas lost it again, trying to hold back his laughter. He pointed at a tiny blob situated between the stick figures that were Cas and Dean. “What’s this.”

“Our daughter!” Dean said this as though it should be completely obvious, and Cas cracked up again.

“Oh, right….our daughter,” he managed in between bursts of laughter. “How silly of me.”

“Damn right.” Dean nodded very seriously. “It’s okay. All great artists are misunderstood during their own time.”

Cas was never going to stop laughing. He knelt before Dean, kissing him and murmuring “dork.”

Dean grinned. “Cheered you up, didn’t it.”

“You always do.” Cas stroked his hair, kissing him again. “Thank you."

Dean shook his head. “No need.” He gave Cas a little poke. “Now go finish your awesome painting.”

Cas sighed but he rose, stepping back and considering his work. “….it’s really not too bad, is it.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “Gee, you think?”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

Cas glanced at Dean, his mouth curved in a wicked smile. “Maybe later.”

“Mm.” Dean’s eyes were hooded as he looked up at Cas. “I’m gonna hold you to that."

Cas laughed, picking up his paintbrush and beginning to paint.

 

**~*~**

 

“So….names.”

The two were curled up in bed together. Cas had indeed made good on his promise to shut Dean up. In reality he had mostly made Dean far louder first before they’d resorted to gagging him, something Cas still loved doing now and again.

Dean snuggled closer. “You really think we should pick out names? I mean I know I said I think we’ll be getting a girl but that’s just me having some stupid feeling.”

“We can pick out boy names too,” Cas pointed out.

“Oh. Right.” Dean felt silly. “So…any thoughts?”

“Well…” Cas hesitated. “For a girl I really thought…” He ran his fingers softly through Dean’s hair. “….would you like to name her after your mom?”

He felt Dean’s body stiffen and for a moment he was worried he made a terrible mistake. Then Dean was kissing him, hands cupping his face as he pressed almost desperately against Cas.

“I love you,” he whispered when he pulled away. “You….you’re so good to me.”

“You like the idea?” Cas was relieved and oh-so happy.

Dean nodded fervently. “I do. I LOVE it.” He hesitated. "Are you sure you don't mind? I mean you don't want to name her after _your_ mother?"

Cas shook his head. Even though he'd had his mother with him much longer than Dean had his, Cas had never had the same sort of connection Dean shared with his mother. He had loved her, but his father had always been the one he was close with. And either way, this was much more important. "I'd rather we went with Mary."

Dean smiled gratefully. "Thank you." He reached out, running his fingers through Cas' soft brown hair. "I'm still surprised neither you nor Gabriel inherited your mother's hair."

Cas laughed. Dean had never met Anna but he'd seen pictures. "Thank _God_. Can you imagine ME with red hair?"

Dean chuckled, running his fingers through Cas' hair. "You'd still be cute." He gently ran his fingers over Cas’ brow. “Those big blue eyes.”

“I’d look _ridiculous_ ,” Cas insisted.

“And still cute.” Dean kissed Cas. “No point arguing, you won’t win.” He paused as he suddenly thought of something. “Why not Anna for a middle name? Mary Anna Winchester?”

Cas smiled, such an overwhelming feeling of love for Dean. “I think that’s perfect.”

Dean curled up closer to Cas, snuggling his head up below Cas’ chin in that way he always did. “I love you.”

Cas stroked Dean’s hair, kissed his forehead. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

There was a knock on the door but it was nothing more than a warning for it immediately opened. Bradburys didn’t wait to be let in.

Charlie immediately threw out her arms to hug Dean, who stepped right into them. Bela followed behind her, little Lauryn in her arms. The baby was only a year old but she was already so big, and every time he saw her Cas felt shock hit him. Charlie had been the biological mother and the baby had inherited her red hair; the resemblance to his mother Anna was uncanny. He was positive that it would fade as Lauryn grew up and began to look more like her mother, but as a baby, that red hair and those big eyes reminded him so much of the photos of his mother as a child that it was crazy.

“Hello.” Bela set little Lauryn down on the ground, where she began to toddle about on those chubby, unsteady legs of hers. 

“Hey, Bela.” Dean hugged her as well. “How’re you doing?”

“Fine, thanks.”

Sam chose that moment to show up. “Hey, everyone.” God, he was so big now….a good three inches taller than Dean. Dean had no idea what had happened to him but it was positively ridiculous.

“Hey, moose.”

Sam rolled his eyes. “Hilarious as always, Dean.” He nodded to Cas, who was crouched on the floor, playing with Lauryn. “So….do we get to see this room?”

“Oh, her nursery?”

Sam arched a brow. “How do you know you’ll be adopting a girl?”

Cas looked up at Sam. “Dean’s psychic.” Dean gave him a Look; Cas just shrugged, grinning.

Dean sighed, gesturing. “This way.” 

Everyone followed him down the hall, Cas holding both of Lauryn’s hands to steady her as she walked. 

As soon as they reached the hobbit hole entrance, Charlie’s entire face lit up like a Christmas tree; before they knew what was happening, she was diving inside, right into the beanbag chair. Cas and Sam were laughing; Dean shook his head with a grin.

“Charlie, get out of there.”

“No.”

“Charlie.”

“No. I’m living here.”

“That’s our daughter’s room. You can’t live there.”

“Try and stop me.”

“Charlie, dearest,” this was Bela. “Might I remind you that you have a daughter of your own, and a wife, and that beanbag is awfully small to have sex on. So if you ever want to have intercourse again, I suggest you leave that room.”

Charlie was up off the beanbag in a flash, which made Dean snort with laughter, but she DID look longingly at the room. “Guys, this is seriously amazing. Dean, you built this door?” He nodded. “And Cas, you did all this painting in here?”

“Yes.”

She shook her head in wonder. “It’s fantastic. It really is.”

“It really does look good, guys.” Sam was looking around the room, appreciatively taking in all the work. “….but what if she doesn’t like _Lord of the Rings_?”

Dean just stared at him. Sam raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry. Stupid question.”

“Damn right it’s a stupid question.”

“That’s practically sacrilege, Sam,” Charlie cut in.

“I said I was sorry!”

Cas was chuckling, shaking his head. “Okay guys, enough. Let’s go eat.”

Bela and Charlie set off down the hall, murmuring endearments to each other. Sam was close behind them, then Cas, still holding Lauryn’s hands. He was practically bent in half to do it but he didn’t mind at all. On the contrary, his face was aglow, the smile there lighting him up, and Dean smiled to see it. Cas was so good with kids. Dean couldn’t wait to see him with their own child.

Cas glanced back over his shoulder. “Dean?”

“Yea?”

Those blue eyes beamed at him, so beautiful. “Just seeing if you were still with me.”

Dean smiled as he moved to join Cas, giving him a soft kiss on the cheek. “ _Always_.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know using "Mary" for the kid's name is a bit cliched, but I think there's a reason for that. It just makes sense.


	3. Chapter 3

“Dean! Hey, Dean!”

Cas’ voice was full of excitement, so much so that Dean could hear him all the way across the yard. “I’m coming, Cas.” And there he was, that head of tousled brown hair even messier than usual after an afternoon of gardening, clothes covered in dirt. Dean couldn’t help but smile looking at him. Cas had developed a love of gardening and their house was now surrounded by gorgeous flowerbeds, their extensive yard well-manicured. 

Cas glanced over his shoulder, grinning at Dean, and pointed upwards. “Look!”

Dean looked and immediately felt his heart clench with fear. Up in the trees above them was a bee’s nest. And not just ANY bee’s nest….a HUGE one.

Cas looked enthralled. “Isn’t it great?” He turned to look at Dean and was taken aback at what he saw. Dean’s face was tight with suppressed emotion and….was that fear?

“Dean?”

“That…..that’s really neat.” But Dean’s voice said that it was anything but.

“….are you afraid of bees?”

“No. No, not at all.” But despite his words, Dean was slowly edging away from Cas, from the bee's nest. Cas bit his lip, struggling to hold back laughter.

“Yes you are.”

Dean looked at Cas, eyes somewhat embarrassed, and sighed. “Yea I am.”

Cas shook his head with a smile and moved to Dean, pulling him into a hug, kissing his cheek. “I can call an exterminator.” He hated the thought of it but if Dean was truly afraid then he wasn’t going to force them on him. But Dean shook his head.

“No. I'll just stay away from that part of the yard." 

Cas' eyes lit up. "Really?" Dean nodded. 

"Really." He paused; his eyes narrowed. "But if one of those things stings our kid I'm hunting them down and killing them all. One by one." 

Cas laughed. "Dean...kids get beestings. It’s a part of life." But Dean just shook his head adamantly. 

"No." 

Cas sighed but he was grinning. "Such a dork."

“Damn straight.” Dean gave Cas a kiss. “Now come on. No more bees.”

Cas couldn’t help but laugh. “Alright. No more bees. For now.” 

Dean shook his head. “I can’t believe you like bees.”

“I LOVE bees,” Cas corrected.

“SUCH a weirdo.” Dean tugged at Cas’ hand. “Come on.”

“Where’re you going?”

“To the store. I’m gonna get some stuff to put around the yard….keep the bees at bay.”

Cas grinned. “What….you gonna baby-proof our yard?”

“Damn straight I’m gonna baby-proof our yard.” Cas threw back his head with a laugh; Dean glowered at him. “What. What’s so funny.”

Cas shook his head. “Nothing. I’m coming with you.”

Dean just smiled. “I was hoping you'd say that.”

 

**~*~**

 

Dean was a baby-proofing _machine_. It was a lucky thing that they had so much income from Dean’s book because he was spending a ridiculous amount at various baby stores, making certain they had everything they needed to ensure their child’s safety. He was doing the brunt of the work, since Cas had a daily job and Dean worked from home but still, Cas was getting concerned. Dean was giving up almost all of his writing time in favor of fixing up their house. As much as they needed the house fixed up and as happy as it made Dean, Cas hated to see him give up his writing. Dean _loved_ to write, and it relaxed him, and God knows he needed some relaxation right now. He may enjoy the baby-proofing but the stress of the adoption process was wearing on him and he sure could use something to calm him down, but nothing Cas tried would make him take the time out to write again. Though now that Cas thought about it, there may be one thing….

Dean arrived home with another bagful of supplies. “Cas?” His husband was nowhere to be seen. “Cas, you home yet? I got some more…” but he stopped dead when he reached his office, his voice trailing off. “….supplies….” The bag slipped through his fingers, crashing to the floor.

Cas was sitting in Dean’s desk chair, slouched back with his legs spread wide apart, leaning on the desk. He had a pair of glasses perched on his nose, sleeves cuffed to his elbows, wearing the blue tie that Dean loved.

Dean was staring at him as though he had seen some sort of glorious vision, and he smiled seductively. “Mr. Winchester, I’m here to review your latest novel pages.”

Dean was on him in an instant, straddling his lap and kissing him fiercely. Cas couldn’t help smiling into the kiss. He’d known this would work. Dean just couldn’t resist when it came to anything literature related. He was tearing open Cas’ shirt, mouthing his way along all that bare skin. Cas’ head tipped back with a moan; he felt Dean’s fingers trace his cheek, finding the rim of the glasses.

“These are so sexy,” Dean murmured. “Where the fuck did you get them?”

Cas chuckled. “Drugstore.”

Dean kissed him, soft and slow. “Awesome purchase.” Cas laughed, kissing him again and pulling him close. This was just what he’d wanted: Dean relaxing, letting himself simply sit back and enjoy. He rocked his hips upwards, letting Dean feel his hard cock press against his ass, reveled in the sharp intake of breath it elicited. 

“Can I fuck you?” Cas whispered. Dean whimpered, nodded almost frantically.

“Please.” 

Cas unzipped Dean’s pants and gave them a little shove; Dean rose, working with him until they were pushed to the floor, till he could step out of them and kick them aside. Cas wriggled out of his own, pushing them down past his hips so Dean could reseat himself. Their cocks rubbed together and both moaned at that friction.

Dean rocked his hips forward harder, eyes shut as he whispered into Cas’ ear. “Hurry up, Cas.”

Cas fumbled behind them, trying to find something on the desk and finally coming away with the bottle of lube he had stashed there. “Shift your hips, baby,” he said. “Lift ‘em up.”

Dean shivered as he obeyed, moaning as one slickened finger pressed into him. “Fuck, Cas.” 

“Yeah.” Cas prodded, searching for Dean’s prostate, delighting in the resulting cry. “So hot, Dean.”

“Fucking hell, Cas, feels so damn good.” Dean rocked back onto those fingers, his hands digging into Cas’ shoulders til his knuckles turned white. Cas was stretching and prodding, teasing over that spot until Dean was a shivering mess.

“You good, Dean?”

Dean nodded frantically. “Yes!”

Cas nuzzled his throat, nipping gently. “You sure?” he teased.

“Yes, yes, I’m sure! Goddammit, Cas, fuck me!”

Smiling, Cas slid his fingers out as slowly as possible, teasing them over Dean’s prostate as he went, wringing out a pathetic whimpering moan. He kissed Dean comfortingly. “Gonna fuck you now, baby.”

More nodding, pleading. “Yes, please.” 

Cas ran his hands over Dean’s back, down to cup his ass, shifting him up to position him and then slowly, teasingly pressing into him. Dean shuddered at the sensation, clutching at Cas.

“FUCK, Cas.” His face, previously buried against Cas’ throat, pulled back to look at Cas. He took in everything, delighting once again in the glasses, and he reached out to trace them once more. “So fucking beautiful,” he murmured.

Cas smiled. He loved Dean’s nerd obsession. “ _You’re_ beautiful.”

Dean blushed at that, arms wrapping around Cas’ neck. “Shut up and fuck me.”

Cas couldn’t help but chuckle, kissing him. “With pleasure.” He gave a slow, teasing roll of his hips, delighting in the way Dean’s eyes went half-lidded, the way his hands slid into Cas’ hair. “So fucking tight.”

“Cas…” Dean shifted, trying to get closer. He pressed closer to Cas and nuzzled against his throat again. “Harder. Fuck me harder.”

It always made Cas shiver when Dean pleaded with him, and his hips snapped up automatically. Dean cried out, his grip tightening in Cas’ hair, gripping handfuls. _God_ , it felt good. He slipped a hand between them, finding Dean’s weeping cock and giving it a firm, smooth stroke.

Dean was practically crying now. It really had been too long since he’d relaxed this way, simply let someone take care of him, and Cas was determined to make it good. He worked his way up Dean’s throat, kissing and nipping. “So beautiful….so Goddamn beautiful.” He found that spot just below Dean’s ear that the blonde loved so much, kissing it. “ _God_ I love you. More than anything in the world.” And he bit down on that spot, hard enough to break skin, delighting in the taste of blood but even moreso in Dean’s cry as he came. 

Those hips bucked up into Cas’ hand, hot seed spattering his graceful fingers and soft belly. Despite having come he continued to rock into Cas’ hand and back onto his cock, the motions and continuing moans wringing an orgasm from Cas, and he bit down harder as he came. 

Dean’s forehead was resting on Cas’ shoulder as he struggled to catch his breath. Cas licked at the bitemark, loving that metallic tang and the noises it was pulling from Dean, more beautiful than anything had a right to be. “I love you,” he murmured against Dean’s skin. “I love you.”

Then Dean had a handful of brown hair and was pulling Cas back so he could kiss him deeply. “I love you too,” he answered, voice still breathless. “You…you’re perfect.”

Cas laughed softly, stroking Dean’s hair. “Far from it. But thank you for thinking so.”

“Of course I do.” Again Dean’s hands were drawn to those glasses. “I really REALLY like these.”

Cas laughed again. “Really? I had no idea.”

“Oh, shut up.” Dean swatted his shoulder. “They’re sexy. And dorky. Dorky-sexy.”

“Lucky for me you LIKE dorky-sexy.”

“Mm.” Dean grinned. “That’s cuz I AM dorky-sexy.”

“Indeed you are, English-man.” Cas stroked his cheek. “And I _love_ it.”

“Good. Cuz it’s not going away anytime soon.”

Cas kissed him. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

 

**~*~**

 

Their little sexcapade had worked WONDERS. Dean had relaxed so much, taking time out to write and read and even watch movies, not just hunting all over the house for anything that needed baby-proofing. It made Cas ridiculously happy to see. Dean hadn’t fully relaxed in a long time. This adoption thing had him on the edge and it was hard for Cas to pull him back. Generally cuddles and sex worked best.

The woman from the adoption agency had come to examine the apartment. That had gone without a hitch and honestly, Cas wasn’t surprised. Dean had spent so much time on the house that if there was anything wrong with it Cas would have been shocked. The only thing that had caused a mini hold up was the hobbit door. The woman (Mrs. Phelps) had noticed the same thing that Dean had had to explain to the others—that there was a second entrance for the child to use, since the hobbit door had a tiny step up. But once she saw that the baby would have a completely safe entrance, she was completely satisfied, and she left with the promise that now their information would be made available to birth mothers and the two men would be informed if anyone was interested in them.

After that, Dean became even more hyper. The waiting was driving him absolutely _crazy_. Cas’ seduction attempts became more and more frequent and at all times of the day, and became far more interesting. They may have involved a trip to the local sex shop, which resulted in Cas having to call out sick for work the next day due to Dean refusing to let him out of bed. At least it had been fun. _Beyond_ fun.

The one real problem was that Dean would not stop calling the adoption agency to check on their situation, and every time the answer was that there was no answer. Cas hated seeing the hope in Dean’s eyes die again and again and again. He wished there was a way to convince Dean to be patient, but he was having a hard enough time of it himself. The only reason he was holding it together was that he had to; Dean was freaking out enough for the both of them.

Then, one Thursday afternoon, Cas pulled into the driveway to see Dean climbing into the Impala. “Hey!” He jumped out of his car, rushing over to Dean’s side. “Hey!” Dean paused, looking inquisitively at him. “Where’re you going?”

Now Dean just looked abashed. “Adoption agency,” he mumbled.

“Without me??”

“Well I know that you think I’m silly for calling so much, so yea…” He was scrubbing at the back of his neck in that embarrassed way of his, and Cas melted. He shook his head.

“I’m coming.”

Dean’s eyes lit up. “Yea?” Cas nodded.

“Yeah.” He opened the passenger side door to the Impala, pausing to cock a brow at Dean. “You coming?” 

The answering smile lit up Dean’s entire face; he slid into the car beside Cas and they set out together, nerves at a high point, to see what they would see.

 

**~*~**

 

It took over an hour to get in to see Mrs. Phelps, considering they didn’t have an appointment, and she didn’t look exceptionally pleased to see them. Cas wasn’t entirely sure what it was at first….irritation at having to deal with them again, perhaps? But no, it was much worse.

“Hey, there.” Dean looked as if he was having trouble sitting still in his chair, itching to move, and he got right to the point. “Any news?”

“Well, I’ve talked to a few mothers….several of them went with other options and a few…..”

“Yes?” Dean prompted eagerly.

It was then that Cas realized what that look in her eyes was: pity. “…..a few disapproved of the background information you gave.”

Cas was surprised, Dean equally so. “Like what?” Cas didn’t think asking was a good idea but Dean was insistent. Mrs. Phelps looked between them, clearly not happy about this, but continued.

“Specifically your background, Dean.” Cas didn’t even have to look to see Dean flinch. “The single parent, the constant moving….the absentee father, the adoption…..that’s a lot stacked against you.”

Cas looked to Dean. His face was stony. Cas took his hand, squeezing, but Dean didn’t respond, merely sat there woodenly, unblinking.

“Well,” Cas said at last. “Any sort of person who has an issue with that is not someone we want to deal with, anyway.” He took a deep breath. “So. What can we do?”

But before Mrs. Phelps could answer Dean was on his feet and out of the room, the door slamming shut behind him. Cas looked to Mrs. Phelps, stricken, managing to say “I’m sorry,” before following Dean as fast as he could.

Dean was outside by the Impala, hands resting on the roof, head hanging. Cas came up behind him. “Dean?” He was unsurprised to see the tears filling Dean’s eyes; he wrapped an arm around him. “Hey….it’s okay.” But it became clear that Dean was having a complete breakdown, gasping for breath around stifled sobs. Cas’ heart broke and he pulled Dean into his arms. “Hey. Dean, breathe. Breathe.” He could hear as Dean struggled to do just that; he rubbed Dean’s back. “It’s okay.”

“It’s NOT okay,” Dean managed. “No one wants us. We’re not gonna get a kid and it’s all my fault.”

“Dean it is NOT your fault, and we ARE going to get a kid.” Cas held him at arm’s length. “Just because a few assholes brushed us off doesn’t mean a thing. Someone is going to come along, someone who understands, and likes our information, all of your eccentricities, and they’re going to pick us.”

Dean’s hiccoughing had stopped, he was looking at Cas through tear-filled, red-rimmed eyes. “You think?”

Cas smiled, brushing a stray tear away with his thumb. “I _know_.”

Dean somehow managed a watery smile. “I love you, Cas.”

Cas gave Dean a soft kiss. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was such a gorgeous day out….not by most people’s standards, but Dean loved rainy days. It was the perfect day to stay indoors and cuddle with his husband.

Speak of the devil. Dean felt Cas come up behind him, kissing the back of his throat, wrapping his arms around Dean so he could place his hands on Dean’s full, round belly.

Dean shot awake in a damp sweat in the dark, silent room. Cas was sound asleep beside him. His shaking hands went to his flat, empty belly. The dream had felt ridiculously real. But there was obviously no baby there, and if today’s trip to the adoption agency had shown him anything, there was no baby in the nursery either, and no likelihood of there being one for a long time.

There was no way he was going to get back to sleep. Dean slipped out of bed as carefully as possible, not wanting to wake Cas, and padded softly down the hallway to the kitchen to make some tea. He paused to look at the nursery, as empty as his belly, and a pang shot through him. He shook his head, trying to force the emptiness away, and continued to the kitchen. He left the lights off to avoid waking Cas and put the teapot on.

The lack of light didn’t prevent Cas from waking up, for as Dean was pouring hot water into his mug, Cas entered the room, a hand running through his already messy bedhead. “Baby?”

Dean started guiltily. “Oh, Cas. Did I wake you up?”

Cas shook his head. “Just….woke up. I don’t know. Maybe I sensed that you were gone.” He smiled. “Not the same without you.”

Dean smiled weakly. Cas could tell that something was wrong. Frowning, he reached out, stroking Dean’s cheek. “What is it, baby?”

Dean shook his head, not wanting to explain, but he could never resist those blue eyes. Finally, he told Cas his dream, every embarrassing detail, blushing at the way Cas’ eyes widened at the part about his belly.

“You were pregnant?”

Dean’s cheeks flushed even more. “Yes. I don’t know why! It was weird!”

Cas just smiled, kissing him. "I think someone's having empty nest syndrome."

Dean could feel the heat in his face. “Yea, maybe.”

Cas stroked his cheek. “Definitely.” 

The tea sat forgotten on the counter. Dean turned away, looking down the hallway towards the hobbit room. "What'll we do, Cas."

Cas came up behind him, wrapping his arms around Dean’s waist; he kissed Dean’s cheek. "It’s going to work out," he promised. "Someone will pick us." 

"But what if they don't?" Dean's voice was a whisper, so scared. Cas' heart broke to hear it. He nuzzled Dean's cheek, a smile in his voice as he answered "then we rent the room to Charlie."

Dean let out a startled burst of laughter, and Cas smiled to hear it. "Charlie, huh," Dean managed.

Cas nodded. "Yup. Just until someone picks us. Which won't be long. You'll see."

Dean turned in his arms so he could face Cas, the smallest of smiles on his face. “You always make me feel better. How do you do that?”

Cas ran his fingers through that soft, spiky hair. “Cuz I love you. And you love me.”

All signs of sadness were vanishing from Dean’s face now, and Cas’ heart filled with joy to see it. Dean smiled. “You’re _wonderful_.”

“You have some pretty spectacular qualities yourself.”

Dean laughed. “I love you.”

Grinning, Cas kissed him again. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

The conversation that night had calmed Dean down, and Cas was relieved. Dean was just so good, so sweet and wonderful…..Cas hated to see him upset. And over something like this? To have him thinking that something was wrong with him, that it was some fault of his that they would never get a child? That made Castiel’s heart ache. 

Still, Dean had been extremely subdued that week. He never left Castiel’s side when he was home, and Cas made sure to be home as often as was possible. He would sit on the floor as he drew, his head rested against Dean’s knee as the blonde sat knitting on the couch. But it had been several days now and Dean seemed over it…as much as he could be, what with the continued worry over when they would get a child.

It was late Friday afternoon when the phone rang. The two of them were on the couch, Dean resting with his head in Cas’ lap. He pushed up to his elbows when the phone rang, looking inquisitively at Cas as the brunette picked up the phone.

Cas looked at the caller ID and felt his heart freeze; he looked at Dean. “It’s the agency.” Dean’s eyes went wide, so huge that there was almost no white around the green. Cas swallowed nervously, his voice barely a whisper as he answered “hello?” He sat there listening, and all color drained from his face. Dean felt his heart stop at that. “Yes. Yes. Tomorrow. Three o’clock? Yes. Okay.” Then he hung up the phone, almost dream-like, eyes on Dean as a smile spread across his face. “Someone picked us. Someone liked our profiles and Mrs. Phelps’ report on us and they picked us.” Dean didn’t respond; didn’t move. “Mrs. Phelps wants us to come in tomorrow to talk things over more.” Dean still hadn’t reacted at all. “…..Dean?”

It almost seemed as if Dean hadn’t heard; he simply sat there, staring blankly at Cas. Then he burst into tears. Cas felt himself melt; he pulled Dean into his arms, pressing kisses all over his face. “Its okay, Dean.”

“I know.” Dean’s voice was choked with sobs. “It’s MORE than okay.” Cas had to smile at that. Dean pulled back to look at him, tears in his eyes. “A kid. We’re gonna have a kid.”

Cas was beaming; he nodded. “We are.” He brushed a tear from Dean’s cheek. “I _told_ you someone would pick us.”

Dean laughed through the tears. “You did.” His hands gripped Cas’ shirtfront and he pulled him into a kiss. “I love you so much.”

Smiling, Cas stroked Dean’s flushed cheek. “I love you too.”

 

**~tbc~**


	4. Chapter 4

Dean was practically bouncing out of his seat. Cas was half afraid that Mrs. Phelps would take one look at him and decide he was actually too immature to adopt a child.

“Dean,” he whispered. Dean looked to him, grin lighting up his face, and Cas couldn’t help but smile back, shaking his head. “Calm down.”

Dean seemed to get the point and he nodded, settling, though even then he couldn’t stop his knee from bouncing. Cas tried to suppress his smile; it was too damn cute.

Mrs. Phelps entered the room and Dean nearly jumped out of his seat. “Gentlemen.” She shut the door behind her, moving to her desk. “I hope we’re doing well, though I’m guessing we are.” She looked genuinely happy for them. It was clear she was a woman who loved her job, loved to make families complete.

Cas nodded. “We’re great.” 

“Good.” She sat behind her desk. “So….do you want more information?”

“Yes.” The word was out of Dean’s mouth practically before the woman had finished speaking. She laughed.

“Okay.” She opened the folder she’d been carrying and pushed a photo towards them. “This is Claire.”

The picture was of a young girl, far younger than either man had been expecting. Cas would guess she was no older than 16. Her hair was blonde and had tiny braids in it, her eyes lined with dark makeup, and she had a little smirk on her face. 

“Claire has been….very difficult….about choosing an adoptive family. She’s found most people too ‘square’.” Mrs. Phelps smiled when Dean snorted. “Her word. And the one family she DID like couldn’t get past Claire’s hair and makeup. But somehow I thought that wouldn’t be an issue for you two.”

Cas shook his head. “Not an issue at all.” He knew the moment he saw Claire that she was perfect, and that Dean would love her, too. One look at his husband showed that he was right. Dean’s face was aglow; he touched the photo almost reverently.

“She picked us?”

Mrs. Phelps nodded. “She liked your info….especially your list of likes. Thought you were interesting. And then she saw Dean’s background.” Dean’s heart leapt, terrified. “She’s from a broken home, too. Her father left when she was twelve.” A soft smile. “She said she wanted her baby with someone who could relate, someone who would never leave.”

Dean felt as cold as ice but for the tears burning trails down his cheeks. He felt Cas take his hand and he looked up to see those blue eyes smiling at him. Realization set in that his past hadn’t ruined everything for them, _hadn’t_ kept them from getting a baby; no, it had been what GOT them a baby. He felt as if he may start sobbing and scrubbed at his eyes, forcing it back. “Well,” he managed. “What do we do next?”

“Well she’d like to meet you, if you’re interested.”

Cas was surprised. “She wants an open adoption?” He hadn’t been expecting that at all. Not that he minded (he and Dean had discussed this) but it still did surprise him.

Mrs. Phelps nodded. “She said you both sounded too cool not to meet.”

That got a laugh out of him and he looked to Dean. “How bout it, baby? You want to meet Claire….” He looked to Mrs. Phelps. “What’s her last name?”

She smiled. “Novak.”

Cas felt shock hit him. “You’re kidding.”

A shake of the head. “I’m not.”

He looked to Dean, eyes huge, and found Dean looking very much the same. Then Dean was cupping his cheek, a smile spreading over his face. “She’s _perfect_ ,” he whispered. “It’s like it was meant to happen.”

Cas couldn’t help it, he leaned in and kissed Dean. “So this is good?”

Dean nodded. “It’s good. _More_ than good.”

Cas looked to Mrs. Phelps. “When is Claire free?”

They picked out a date a week away and left with Mrs. Phelps promising to call them to confirm everything after she’d spoken to Claire.

They had barely even made it into the parking lot before Dean was shoving Cas up against the car and kissing him. Cas let out a noise of surprise but he quickly relaxed into it, hands slipping into Dean’s short blonde hair.

“You were right,” Dean whispered breathlessly when they separated. “Someone liked me.”

Cas felt a little ache in his chest at the knowledge of how much Dean had been hurting during this entire process, worried that he was endangering their chances of adoption. He kissed Dean. “Of course I was. Why _wouldn’t_ people like you? You’re _wonderful_.”

For once Dean didn’t object; he was too happy for that, simply smiling and kissing Cas again, and again.

“Besides,” Cas managed in between kisses, “You were right, too.” Dean pulled back to arch an inquisitive eyebrow at him. Cas smiled. “We ARE having a girl.”

If Dean had been happy before, now he was positively glowing. When Mrs. Phelps had told them the sex of the baby, Dean’s face had lit up. It wasn’t as if he would be disappointed in a boy; not at all. It was that his hunch had been right, and they had already talked about having a little girl named Mary so much; she was so embedded in his mind now that she felt real. He wondered if she’d have Claire’s blonde hair. The thought made him shiver. If so, she would look like his mother.

He kissed Cas, smiling. “We are.”

Cas stroked his cheek. “Mary Anna Winchester.” He smiled. “It does have a nice ring to it.”

 

**~*~**

 

Dean hummed happily to himself as he carried his groceries to the car. Claire was coming tomorrow and he needed to have lots of food ready. He had no idea what she liked….better to make sure he was prepared. 

He paused by the car, adjusting the bag so he could unlock the door, but he stopped dead when he heard a voice behind him.

“Well well well….Dean Winchester.” That voice was far more familiar than Dean would have liked, a voice he never wanted to hear again. That same slippery voice he’d heard every single day in high school. He turned, coming face to face with Alastair, his old math professor.

“Alastair.” His voice was curt. It only made the man smile; he was eyeing Dean with that same look he’d always had, like he was trying to see through Dean’s clothes. 

“Well…..” His eyes travelled up and down, running over Dean’s body to take in every inch, and Dean had to struggle to suppress a shudder. “YOU turned out nicely.”

Dean glared. “Go fuck yourself, Alastair.” He turned away, shoving the grocery bag in the car, but he was unable to shut out Alastair’s voice as he said “oh, but there are so many more appealing alternatives,” a lilt in his voice as he blatantly raked his eyes over Dean’s ass. A shiver running down his spine, Dean got in the car, slamming the door and driving off, leaving Alastair far behind him.

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean?” Cas shut the front door behind him, arms full of art supplies. “Dean, where are you?” He set the box down on the kitchen counter, surprised to see a bag of groceries sitting there. Dean always put the groceries away as soon as he got home from shopping. “…..Dean?” He moved down the hall, looking for his husband. “Dean!”

Dean was sitting in the nursery, knees to his chest, holding tight to a pillow. Cas was on the floor in an instant, kneeling beside him. “Dean, what is it? What’s wrong?”

Dean looked up at Cas, a look of almost fear on his face. “Am I going to be a shit dad?"

“No!” Cas was completely shocked at the question. “Why would you even THINK that??"

Dean was silent for a long time. “…..I ran into Alastair today.”

“Mr. Alastair from high school?” Dean nodded. “….okay. What happened?”

“Nothing. Just….he made more comments, all flirty like in school.”

Cas was furious; he held Dean tighter. “He’s an asshole.”

“I know.” But that was all Dean said, so Cas had to prod for more information.

“….so…..why does that make you think you’ll be a bad dad?”

Dean wouldn’t look up. “Because around here I'm always gonna be that gay kid who got the shit kicked out of him and thrown off the soccer team."

Cas' heart broke; he tried to think of the best way to handle this. One thing was for certain, he had to cheer Dean up. He wrapped an arm around Dean. "I hate to break this to you, baby, but....our daughter is gonna know her parents are gay." Dean let out a startled burst of laughter and Cas smiled, relieved to hear it. He stroked Dean’s hair. “Besides, you’ll also always be the kid who got a full ride to UCLA, who became a best-selling author.” Dean smiled, his mood clearly beginning to lighten. “And either way, it doesn’t matter what those assholes think. It only matters what you and I think, and what Mary thinks. And she’s going to _adore_ you.”

Dean was flushed pink with happiness. “Yea?”

Cas kissed the tip of his nose. “Yeah.”

Dean snuggled close to him, wrapping his arms tight around Cas. “I love you so much.” Cas stroked his hair.

“I love you, too.”

 

 **~*~**

 

The knock on their door was loud, a series of firm raps, and Dean’s head shot up. Cas smiled to see it. “Guess that’s her.”

Dean nodded. His face was a combination of nervousness and excitement. Cas kissed him, a smile on his face. “It’s going to be fine, baby.”

Another nod. “I know.” He set aside the food he’d been preparing (enough for a small army….Dean cooked when he was nervous and he also wanted to ensure there was something Claire liked, so it had gotten out of control far too fast) and wiped his hands off on his pants. From where Cas stood at the door, he looked to Dean, and he nodded. “Ready.”

Cas pulled the door open to reveal a petite blonde girl, far tinier than Cas had thought she would be. Her hair was in that same messy tangle it had been in that photo, tiny braids here and there, and she was sporting dark eyeliner and purple shadow. At the sight of the two men, she smiled, that little smirk she had on in the photo Mrs. Phelps had given them. “Hey, there.”

“Hello.” Cas pushed the door open wider, beckoning. “Come on in.” She did so, squeezing past the two of them. He gestured to himself and Dean in turn. “I’m Cas, this is Dean.”

“Hey.” She offered a hand. “Claire.” 

“You want a drink, Claire?”

She shrugged. “I’ll just have water.”

“Water it is.” Cas went to get some, returning to find that Dean was still awkwardly standing there. Usually he was so at ease around everyone but obviously he was so scared about making a good impression on their future daughter’s mother that he was afraid to make a move of any kind. As they headed to the living room, Dean bobbed behind them both like some kind of nervous shadow. Cas shook his head, smiling. “Don’t mind Dean. Think he’s just a little nervous.” Dean shot him a look; Claire laughed.

“Nervous? Not the guy from those photos.”

“Photos?” Dean looked to Cas. “What photos did you send in?” The two men had picked out photos together to fill their birth information, but Cas snuck in a couple extra ones when Dean wasn’t looking.

“There may have been one of you singing karaoke.”

Dean’s eyes widened, horrified. “Not the one where I’m shirtless in the cowboy hat!” At that both Claire and Cas burst into laughter.

“No! Dean, we WANTED to get a child. That would’ve had the complete opposite result.”

“Hey!” Dean was indignant. “I looked damn good!”

Claire was giggling at the two of them. “I don’t know, Dean, a cowboy hat? That does sound a little questionable.” 

And just like that, Dean was relaxed. It was great. Claire was just as fun as her profile had made her sound, a perfect fit for the two of them. She teased Dean about how much food he made and he wasn’t embarrassed as he would have been when she’d first shown up, no, instead he ribbed her right back. She completely flipped out when she saw the nursery, Dean shyly showing off the hobbit door, and the rest of the afternoon was spent in there, for like Charlie, Claire didn’t want to leave. The day positively flew by and the boys were sorry to see her go. Dean packed up food for her to take with her, almost more than she could carry. She smiled, tugging her shirt down over the slight round of her belly.

“Thank you.”

“Thank _you_ ,” Cas said. “Really. It was great having you here.” But they all knew he was thanking her for far more than that. Still, Dean couldn’t help but press.

“And you think…” he hesitated. “You really think you want us for the parents?”

Claire looked at him as though he were crazy. “Of _course_ I do! You guys are _perfect!_ ”

Dean’s face melted into the most beautiful smile; he pulled her into his arms and squeezed her tight, careful of her belly. She laughed.

“Thank you,” he whispered.

“You’re welcome.” She gave him one last squeeze and pulled away, looking between the two of them. “I knew as soon as I saw your info that you two were the ones.”

Cas was filled with happiness; he wrapped an arm around Dean’s shoulders and pulled him close, waving goodbye with a smile as they watched her go. Then he turned to Dean. The blonde’s face was aglow; he kissed Cas with everything he had. Cas laughed into his mouth. “Happy, I take it.”

“Ecstatic.” Dean murmured the word against Cas’ lips. Cas stroked his hair with a smile.

“She’s wonderful, isn’t she.”

“Perfect.” Dean took Cas’ hands. “Absolutely _perfect_.”

Cas gently tugged at Dean’s hands. “Let’s go to bed.”

The two moved down the hallway to their room, helping each other change into pajamas, exchanging kisses the whole time. It really had been a practically perfect day. And when they were in bed, and Dean crawled into his arms, snuggling up beneath his chin, Cas thought that maybe he was wrong. Maybe “practically” had no place in that sentence. For this here, with Dean in his arms and a baby on the way? That was nothing if not perfection.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope no one is weirded out that I went with Claire. I was going to make up a character but when I thought about it it seemed like Claire would be perfect.
> 
> I want you all to know, in case you don't, that there IS another part, a series of drabbles in this same verse. If you look at the top this is a whole series now, 'Carry On', with four parts currently.


	5. Chapter 5

“Seriously? Her name is Novak?”

Cas nodded, passing Benny a beer.

“And no relation?” 

He shook his head. “No. She moved to town a couple months ago. I know that doesn’t mean anything but we talked through it, trying to figure out if we were related at all and nothing came up. Though apparently I DO look a bit like her dad.” He smiled sadly. Claire’s dad had left when she was young and he felt terrible about that. Though it WAS one of the reasons she had picked him and Dean to adopt her child. She had seen herself in Dean’s circumstances and known someone with a background like his would raise her daughter right. So as much as Cas hated to have Claire come from a home like that, it was part of the reason he and Dean were getting Mary. And that meant _everything_.

“So it’s just a really bizarre coincidence.” Cas nodded. “Huh.” Benny shook his head. “Life’s funny.”

Cas watched Dean at the grill and smiled. “Sure is.”

Benny rolled the glass beer bottle between his palms. “Is she coming to the shower tomorrow?”

Cas hushed him. “Shh!” He glanced furtively at Dean. Benny followed his gaze, eyebrows raised.

“Still haven’t told Dean?” he asked. Cas rolled his eyes.

“You know Dean. If I tell him, he’ll try to make all the food. This is supposed to be about him.”

“About _both_ of you,” Benny corrected. Cas blushed.

“Easier to think of it as being about him.” That made Benny chuckle.

“Whatever gets you through it, brother.” He took a sip of beer. “So, is Claire coming?”

Cas shook his head. “She was worried that having the pregnant mother there would detract attention from us. Her words,” he finished, tone amused.

“Well, I’d like to meet her sometime. She sounds sweet.”

Cas smiled. “She is.” He frowned as he really thought about Benny’s words. WOULD Benny ever meet Claire? She had visited with him and Dean a couple times now, but would she continue to do so after the baby was born? True, it was an open adoption, but he didn’t know how involved she would want to be in Mary’s life, or if that meant she would want to continue spending time with _them_ as well, or if she would just want to visit with her daughter. It was an interesting question and one he wasn’t certain how to get the answer to. It seemed awkward to bring up directly to Claire, but he supposed he’d have to do so eventually.

Suddenly Dean was before him, pressing a plate into his hands. There was happiness in his eyes, a look that had been there every single day since they had gotten the news of the baby. Cas was filled with warmth to see it. “You seem a little spaced out, baby,” Dean teased. “Everything alright?”

Cas gave Dean a kiss, smiling. “Everything’s fine.”

 

**~*~**

 

Cas was full of anticipation the next day. He’d had to pull Dean out that morning so that Charlie and the others would have a chance to set up for the shower. The two had spent the day at Gillette’s Castle. It had been built by the actor William Gillette, famous for portraying Sherlock Holmes in the late 19th and early 20th century, and he had built a castle on the Connecticut River, specifically to look like a ruined, ancient castle. It had always been one of Castiel’s favorite places as a child and, ever since their first trip there in high school, one of Dean’s as well. It wasn’t difficult to convince him to spend a morning there.

 

[ ](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/Gillette-Castle-CT_zps679158a9.jpg.html)

 

Still, he was relieved to get home, stomach fluttering anxiously as he followed Dean up to the door, positioning himself so he’d be able to see Dean’s reaction when he opened the door, waiting for that cry of “SURPRISE!!!”

Cas’ face split into a huge grin at the sight of Dean’s face: those huge eyes, mouth slightly open in surprise. Dean looked to Cas, even more surprised when he saw that smile. “You….you _knew_ about this?” Cas nodded. “You sneaky little bastard.” Cas burst into laughter, quickly cut off as Dean pulled him close and kissed him. “I love you,” he murmured.

“I love you, too.”

“Come on, you two!” Charlie was bouncing up and down. “We’ve got presents for you to open!”

“Presents?” Dean looked as though he didn’t know whether to feel happy or embarrassed. “You guys….you didn’t need to….”

Ash shook his head. “Dean, shut up, sit down and open your gifts.”

Dean looked taken aback, then looked at Cas with a smile. Cas shrugged. “Think you better listen.”

Dean found his hand, giving it a squeeze. “So long as you share the job.”

Cas smiled, squeezing back. “Gladly.”

 

**~*~**

 

It had been a marvelous day, though Dean felt ridiculously spoiled. There had been so many gifts! There was a baby sling, a car seat, a baby monitor, bedding for the crib they had already bought….the list was neverending. Gabriel had been his traditional asshole self and bought them a breast pump which earned him a pillow to the face, but he only laughed and gave them the receipt to exchange it, as well as a bouncy seat to make up for the obnoxious joke.

The men hadn’t had to lift a finger, despite their best efforts…..Dean had been determined to help serve and clean up the food, but no one would let him. Even so, they were exhausted, and happy to curl up on the couch together once everyone was gone, lying down with Dean snuggled up with his head under Cas’ chin. 

Cas stroked Dean’s hair. “Did you have a good time?”

Dean glanced up at him, smiling. “I had an _amazing_ time. I can’t believe you guys did this.”

“To be fair, I didn’t have much to do with the actual planning. I just had to keep you out of the way.”

“Yea….why IS that.”

Cas smiled. “Cuz we knew you’d try to do all the cooking.”

Hey!” Dean laughed, smacking Cas’ shoulder. “I’m an _awesome_ cook!”

“I know. You’re better than all of us. But this day was supposed to be for the two of us and we wanted you to relax.”

That satisfied Dean and he snuggled close again. “Well, it was _wonderful_.”

Cas nodded. “It was.” He stroked Dean’s hair. “You ready for tomorrow?” He could immediately feel the excitement radiating through Dean’s body.

“Yes. _More_ than yes.”

Tomorrow they would be going with Claire to her ultrasound, and getting the first look at their future daughter. Cas couldn’t wait, and clearly Dean felt the same. He stroked Dean’s hair. “Me neither.” Then Dean yawned and Cas couldn’t help but chuckle. “Wanna go to bed?”

Dean managed a nod. “Yea.” He crawled off of Cas, up off the couch, and offered a hand. “C’mon.”

Cas took it with a smile and together the two headed to the bedroom to get changed. Dean was incredibly handsy, as he often was when he was happy. Cas thought there was a decent chance he would be woken up with sex at some point during the night.

They fell into bed together and Cas pulled Dean into his arms, dropping a kiss to his forehead. “Sleep,” he whispered. Dean smiled up at him.

“I love you.”

Cas stroked his cheek, smiling back. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

Claire was waiting for them outside the doctor’s office. She really was round now, and Dean filled with happy flutters seeing it. That was their child inside her. “Hey, boys.”

“Hi.” God, he wanted to reach out and touch her belly, feel for the baby kicking. He should just get up his courage and ask. He was sure she wouldn’t mind. 

“You ready to go in?”

Cas nodded. “Whenever you are.”

The wait wasn’t long at all, which was good; both men were losing their minds. Claire had been through this twice before and obviously it wasn’t as big a deal for her anyway, since she wasn’t keeping the child. But she had a huge smile on her face as she watched the two boys. The nurse quickly grew irritated with them for being in the way, finally physically moving them to one side of the room where Dean watched with fascination as she rubbed gel on Claire’s stomach. Then she put the transducer to Claire’s belly and the screen flickered to life, and both men stared. There she was: their baby. Her little heartbeat was flickering away, the outline of one tiny hand clearly visible. Cas felt as if he might cry; he wanted to touch the screen, as if it would let him touch her, but he knew the technician would flip out on him again. “She’s _beautiful_ ,” he whispered. He could hear Claire laugh.

“She’s a blob,” Claire said.

“Yea but she’s _our_ blob,” Dean said. “Our beautiful blob.” He gave Cas’ hand a squeeze, looking to the brunette with a smile, a look which Cas returned.

“Would you like a picture?”

Cas’ attention was redirected to the technician, who was looking between the three of them. “I can print you a photo of the baby.”

Dean lit up. “Please?” He had wondered if they’d be offered a photo. The woman printed a copy for them and handed it over; he clutched it close so that he and Cas could look at it together. “She’s _gorgeous_ ,” he whispered. He could feel Cas smiling as the man slipped an arm around him.

“She is. Absolutely gorgeous.”

Claire slid off the table, wiping the gel off her belly with a damp towel. “You boys ready to go?”

Cas nodded. “Think so.” They headed out into the parking lot together. “You want to come to the house for a while?”

She hesitated. “You didn’t have plans?” Dean shook his head.

“Not really. Was gonna write a bit….maybe….” but he trailed off. Claire looked extremely intrigued.

“Maybe what?”

Dean blushed. “….maybe do a bit of dancing.”

If anything, Claire’s interest only grew. “REALLY?? I wanna see!”

Dean was way redder. “I can’t.”

“Oh, come on, baby,” Cas wheedled. “You can dance for her.”

“I can’t!” Dean was far too embarrassed. Cas smiled, stroking his hair.

“Okay. Maybe some other time.” Eventually.

Dean was so pink, it was adorable. “You could play guitar for her.” This idea also seemed to interest Claire.

“Yeah! Play for me!”

Cas sighed but he was smiling. “Only if you both sing.”

Dean smiled, looking to Claire. “Oh, I think that can be arranged, don’t you?”

A nod. “Most definitely.”

 

**~*~**

 

“I will say the only words I know that you’ll understand….my Michelle.”

The song came to an end, the last notes on the guitar fading. Claire sighed happily. “You play beautifully.”

Cas blushed. “Thank you.” A rueful smile. “If only I could sing.” It had been fairly hilarious, since Cas was the only one who could sing the French of the chorus and he was completely tone deaf. Though Claire was as well.

“I’m with you, there.” Claire rounded on Dean. “What IS it with you?”

Dean was taken aback. “What do you mean?”

“The writing, the dancing, the singing….why do you have to be so talented?”

It was Dean’s turn to blush. “I’m sorry?”

“You should be. Share it with the rest of us.”

Cas laughed. “Selfish bastard.”

“Hey!” Dean swatted his arm. “Jerk.” He looked to Claire. “And you haven’t even read any of my writing or seen me dance. Save your opinions on my talent for once you’ve sampled it.”

“Oh, shut up.” She sat back, resting her weight on her hands, legs stretched out in front of her. “So…..you glad you came today?”

Cas nodded fervently. “It was _wonderful_ , Claire. Thank you.”

She smiled. “You’re more than welcome.” She looked over at the ultrasound photo, which Dean had already framed and set on display. “So….you’re naming her Mary?”

Dean felt a little pang in his chest. “Yes….after my mother.” He could see that the words had affected Claire. He would bet that she remembered his mother’s story from the information that had been given in his profile.

“Oh, Dean.” Her voice was soft. “I’m sorry.”

He shook his head. “Don’t be.”

“That’s really sweet, though. And beautiful. You were close with your mom?”

Dean nodded. “Very. She….” He bit his lip. “She was _amazing_.” Cas put his hand on Dean’s shoulder, softly rubbing his back

“Well,” and Claire’s voice was very soft, “I don’t know anything about your mother but I do know this: you’re both wonderful people, and Mary is very lucky to have the two of you.”

Dean felt his heart flutter as he filled with happiness; one look at Cas showed that he felt very much the same. “Thank you.” He took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “ _Thank you_.”

Claire smiled, squeezing back. “You’re more than welcome.”

All too soon it was time for Claire to leave and Cas had to wonder again what would happen to their relationship when the baby was born. Would she still be part of their lives? Because if not, he was going to miss her more than he could say.

He watched Claire go, then felt Dean’s hand on his cheek and looked to see those green eyes watching him with concern. “What’s the matter, baby?”

“Just wondering if we’ll still be spending time with Claire once Mary is born or if she’ll feel weird about it all and just stay away.”

Dean frowned. “I wouldn’t like that.”

Cas shook his head. “Me neither.”

“I mean I can see how it might be a bit weird at first, the transition of her giving birth and handing the baby to us…..it could be a bit strange at the start…..but I don’t want to lose her friendship. I _love_ Claire.”

“Me too.”

Dean pulled Cas close. “We’ll make it work.” He smiled. “We always do, don’t we?”

Cas nodded, smiling. “Yeah….we do.”

“So we’ll talk it over with Claire….figure it all out. Okay?”

Another nod. “Okay.” Cas gave Dean a kiss. “Come to bed,” he murmured.

Dean ran his fingers through Cas’ messy hair, stroking his cheek. “Gladly.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gillette's Castle is awesome, and if anyone is in the New England area they should definitely go there.
> 
> Honestly, in the show I want Claire to go away SO BAD haha. It's frustrating me that Cas is for some reason spending his time trying to babysit her when Dean is suffering life-threatening circumstances. How is that at all likely? So hopefully she'll do as she said she will and will leave for now and maybe come back later. I just want Team Free Will back together. Is that too much to ask? Seriously?
> 
> Come back and live at the bunker Claire, so that Cas and Dean are together again. Problem solved.
> 
> #Endtangent.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Forewarning for pregnancy stuff. Nothing too graphic but if that squicks you out, you might wanna skim through parts of it.

Time seemed to pass both ridiculously fast and ridiculously slow. Claire tended to visit at least every other week, which at least helped to speed things up, and soon she was at nine months. Both men were going out of their minds. Mary would be born any day now. Luckily Claire was incredibly distracting, and when she was over the three of them managed to pass the time with no trouble at all. Dean still refused to dance for her but he DID let her read his poetry. He had been working not just on his novel but on his poems, since Cas had been encouraging him to publish a collection of his poetry, deciding which to use and choosing what order to put them in. Cas had concurrently been working on drawings to go with the poetry, and, as promised, hadn’t used Dean as inspiration for all of them; no, only about half of them. Dean was delighted to discover that he had a partner in teasing Cas over that, for Claire found it about as hilarious and ridiculous as he did. In retaliation Cas did a ludicrous drawing of the two of them, but Dean only laughed. “Add yourself in there.”

“What?” Cas was taken aback.

“I wanna use it in my book. Put yourself in there.”

Cas was surprised but he smiled, adding himself to the picture he had drawn of Dean and Claire in an equally ridiculous pose, handing it over for the other two to examine. They burst out laughing. “I _love_ it,” Dean proclaimed. “It’s going in the book. Not sure where. Maybe the title page.”

Claire looked so surprised, but touched. “I’m gonna be in your book?” Dean nodded; she leaned in, arms going around him. “Thank you,” she whispered. Dean hugged her back.

“You don’t ever need to thank us for anything,” he said softly. “You’re giving us the greatest gift there is. There’s no possible way we can ever repay you.”

Claire began to shake her head but then she froze; her eyes went wide. “What,” Dean asked, alarmed. “What is it.”

Claire looked petrified. “My water broke.”

“Oh. OH!” Dean jumped, almost recoiling from Claire. _I should be doing something_. He had read baby books, many baby books, but at this moment his mind was a complete blank; he couldn’t remember a single thing he had read about what to do at this moment.

Luckily, Cas kept his head. He moved to Claire and wrapped his arms around her. “C’mon,” he murmured. “We’ve got to get you to the hospital.” She nodded, letting Cas help her stand.

“Oh.” Her cheeks flushed. “I made a mess of your floor.”

He shook his head. “Don’t worry about that now. Dean, can you grab some towels? We’ll need them if we’re going in the car.”

Directions. That was what he needed. With a task at hand, Dean headed to the linen closet, pulling out an armful of towels and returning to the living room. He dropped one to the floor, wiping up where Claire had been sitting. She and Cas seemed to be waiting for him. “You ready?”

She nodded. “Ready.” She was beginning to look a little pale. He would wager that the contractions were beginning, or at least some cramps. He moved to her other side and he and Cas supported her as they headed out to the car.

Cas moved to the Prius but Claire stopped him. “No.” He looked questioningly at her. “I think I speak for both Dean and myself when I say that if Mary is born in a car, it’s not gonna be a Prius.”

Dean gave Cas a triumphant look; Cas scowled at him. He didn’t care, simply grinning proudly at Claire. “You want your baby born in a kickass Impala?”

“YOUR baby,” she corrected. That one word filled both men with happy butterflies. “And no, I’d prefer she were born in a hospital bed, but if it ended up being a car then an Impala is definitely the way to go.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” Dean moved to the backseat, lining it with layers of thick fluffy towels to keep the leather from getting wet, then helped Claire to get inside, gingerly laying down. “Be careful back there.” She nodded but then winced; clearly contractions were beginning. “Cas, get in the car.”

“I think I should drive.”

Normally Dean would argue with Cas but it was impossibly obvious that at that moment, Cas was in a much clearer state of mind than Dean was. Without hesitating, Dean handed over the keys and both men climbed in the car.

Cas drove fast as he could without speeding. Dean reached out to Claire. “Here. Take my hand. Squeeze when it gets too painful.” She accepted; he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket and dialed the hospital. “Hello? Hi, I’m calling for the maternity floor. I’m on my way in with a patient who’s in labor. Novak. Claire Novak.” He paused as the doctor looked Claire up in the computer, then looked to Claire. “You see Dr. Abbot?”

She managed a nod. “Yes.”

“Yes,” he answered into the phone. “We’re about ten minutes away. Okay. Okay bye.” Dean looked back at Claire as he hung up the phone. “They’ll be waiting for you when we get there.”

Claire nodded, her face tight with pain. She was squeezing his hand quite tightly now. He reached out and stroked her cheek. “Hey.” She opened her eyes to look at him. He smiled. “It’ll be okay. Just breathe.”

Claire obeyed the order, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. Dean wasn’t sure how much it helped but she did seem somewhat calmer for the rest of the car ride there.

As promised, someone was waiting when they reached the hospital. Cas pulled the car up to the curb and they helped Claire out and into the waiting wheelchair. Cas handed the keys off to the valet attendant, unable to help but smile as, even despite the circumstances, Dean couldn’t help but threaten the man with bodily harm if he damaged the car in any way.

The maternity floor was on the third level. The nurse wheeled Claire to an empty room, and that’s where Dean and Cas stopped, but Claire was having none of it. “Wait wait wait.” The attendant stopped in the doorway; Claire turned to look at the two men. “You’re not coming in?”

They looked at each other. “Well…..we weren’t going to….” Cas began. Honestly it wasn’t something they’d ever thought was an option. It had never been listed in any adoption plan. After all, what mother would want the adoptive parents in the birth room? Even Claire, who had become their friend.

But there she was, staring at them with huge, pleading eyes, and it was hard not to think about how alone, how very alone Claire was. Her father was gone, her mother was an absentee parent like Dean’s father. Cas would wager that, what with all the time they spent with her, he and Dean were more like relatives to her than her own mother at this point. One look at Dean made it clear that Dean felt exactly the same. They nodded at each other.

“Of _course_ we’ll come in,” Dean said.

Claire’s face lit up, though it was quickly replaced with a wince at another contraction, and the nurse wheeled her into the room.

Dean didn’t know what he had been expecting, but this wasn’t it. However many books he’d read hadn’t prepared him for this. Once Claire was in labor he had believed things would move much more quickly. Even though he knew labor could last for hours, he had thought all of that happened once the baby actually started coming. But no, the doctors said this was _early_ labor, that Claire wasn’t yet dilated enough. He wasn’t entirely sure what that meant but it certainly didn’t _sound_ pleasant. And seeing Claire’s sweet face grow increasingly full of pain was _killing_ him. Though after she got the epidural things had gotten slightly better. Drugs tended to do that. It WAS pretty alarming to watch, though, and even it couldn’t completely stop the pain of those growing contractions.

Cas stroked Claire’s cheek. “You okay, sweetie? Cuz if you need to take out all that pain on something, you can hit Dean.”

“Hey!” Dean punched Cas, but Claire was laughing and that made it all worthwhile. He smiled. “Don’t know that you’ll be able to punch me when you’re lying down, but you can squeeze the crap out of my hand again.”

Claire was smiling at the two of them through a wince of pain. “You guys are the best.”

The nurse came in the room to check once again how dilated Claire was. The first time it had happened both men had been completely taken aback. Neither had expected such a thing to be measured with no tools other than the nurse’s gloved hand. It was a little alarming to see, though they were growing adjusted to it as happened several more times.

“Ten centimeters," she said.” Dean felt his heart jump.

“That….that’s it, right?” 

She nodded. “Time to get this show on the road.” She looked to Dean and Cas. “There’ll be a lot of people in the room. You two need to stay out of the way.”

“They will,” Claire assured. “They….” She looked at the two men. “They’re my family.”

Both men felt an overwhelming sense of warmth, of love. Cas stroked Claire’s head; she smiled at him. “You’ll stay, right?” Her voice was slightly anxious.

Dean nodded. “We’ll stay right here.” Claire squeezed his hand gratefully; Cas moved to the other side of the bed so that they were both on either side of her but up out of the way. The doctor was coming in now, also the nurse, a tech, and a P.A following. It was honestly a little intimidating. Dean couldn’t _begin_ to imagine how Claire felt. “Don’t forget to squeeze my hand if it gets too bad.” 

Claire managed a nod and then everything got very complicated very fast. She was being encouraged to push, her hand squeezing Dean’s hand tight enough that he thought his fingers might break. 

Cas stroked her hair back from her sweaty forehead. He wanted to provide words of encouragement but he wasn’t sure what to say. This wasn’t an experience he would ever go through. Would it be patronizing of him to provide words of comfort, to say “it’s okay” or “just breathe” when it was a pain he himself would never know?

Then those big eyes looked up at him, pain in them, and he had to say _something_. “You’re doing great.” He stroked her forehead. 

“Push,” the nurse encouraged. Everything happening with the doctor and nurses seemed a flurry. Dean realized it had been almost two hours now. How had _that_ happened? But then they were telling Claire “one last push” and Dean nearly felt his heart stop as they proclaimed “here she comes!” and lifted the baby into the air. She was a mess, red faced and squalling, and absolutely the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “ _Cas_ ,” he whispered. He felt Cas’ hand take his own, his grip tight.

“I know.”

The doctor made sure the baby’s air passages were clear and cleaned her off. He wrapped her in a blanket and moved to hand her to Claire, but Claire just shook her head. “ _They’re_ adopting her,” she gestured to Cas and Dean. “She’s theirs. Let them hold her.”

The doctor looked to the two men, both of whom were full of happiness at Claire’s words. He crossed the room and offered the baby to Dean.

Dean glanced at Cas, making certain it was okay he hold her first. Cas nodded. Dean took the baby almost reverently, cradling her close. “Hey, Mary,” he whispered. Cas huddled close, stroking one tiny hand.

“She’s so beautiful.” His voice was so soft. Dean nodded, tears in his eyes.

“Absolutely _gorgeous_.”

The doctors had finished cleaning Claire up and settling her in; she was watching the two of them with a smile. Cas looked up at her. “ _Thank you_ ,” he whispered. “Thank you _so much_.”

Dean looked her way as well, his smile setting his whole face alight. “Yes, thank you. She….” He couldn’t help looking at his daughter again. “She’s _beautiful_.”

Claire smiled. “Like her parents.”

“I—“ Then Dean realized Claire meant him and Cas and he blushed happily, moving to Claire’s side and pressing a kiss to her forehead. “And her birthmother.”

Claire shook her head. “Thank you. But we’re gonna move on from that now. Maybe her……aunt?”

Cas’ face brightened. “You mean….really? You’d want to hang out with us still?”

“Of course I do!”

Dean was elated. But… “But….she’ll know you’re her mom. Right?” Claire hesitated so he rushed on. “I mean I know people think that you can’t have that kind of arrangement, can’t have the birth mother spending so much time around the house because of all the complications but I don’t know. I think if anyone can do it it’d be us.”

Dean’s words seemed to have relaxed Claire, and she smiled. “I guess you’re right. I mean…..I don’t know. But….I don’t want to stop seeing you two. And I can see why you wouldn’t want to keep secrets from her.”

“Yes, exactly.” Cas was relieved that she understood.

“But I don’t ever want her to get confused about who her parents are,” Claire continued. “I may have carried her but she’s not mine. She’s yours.” She looked at where Mary lay in Dean’s arms, already so calm with her new father. “She just never felt like mine.” Claire reached out to where Dean was holding the baby and gently stroked one tiny foot; she smiled. “I think she was always yours.”

If Dean wasn’t holding their newborn he would have been squeezing the life out of Claire. As it was, he let Cas do the job for him….as much as he could without hurting her after all the work her body had just gone through.

“You’re _amazing_ , Claire.”

Dean realized something wasn’t right and he looked to Cas with a smile. “You wanna hold her?”

Cas’ entire face lit up; he held out his arms and they very carefully transferred the baby into his arms. “Hey, Mary,” he cooed. Dean chuckled at the tone of voice, watching his husband for a moment before turning his attention to Claire.

“Maybe you should get some rest.”

She nodded. “Maybe. Don’t really want to, but it’s probably a good idea.”

Dean gently stroked her hair. “Probably. You’ve had a tough day.”

The nurse came in the room. “Gentlemen, you should probably leave and let Claire sleep.” Claire shook her head.

“Let them stay a while longer? It’s their baby, after all. I promise I’ll sleep…..just let them stay.”

The nurse regarded the three of them for a moment as she contemplated the idea, then nodded. “Alright. But let her sleep. And put this on the baby.” She came over and gently tugged a knitted beanie onto Mary’s head before leaving. Dean huffed a laugh at the sight of her.

“Rockin’ that blue hat, Mary.”

Cas looked up at him with a smile. “Her hat matches our scarves.”

Dean let out a startled burst of laughter. “It does.” He pulled out a chair for Cas. “Here. Sit down.” Cas did so and Dean looked to Claire. “Do you need anything before you sleep?”

She shook her head. “I’m great.” She smiled. “I’ll see you both in a little while.”

Dean kissed her forehead. “Sleep well.” He adjusted her blankets, tucking her in, and she snuggled deep into them, eyes slipping shut. When he turned, Cas was watching him with a smile; he moved to sit beside him and looked down at their daughter. _Their daughter_. He couldn’t believe it.

“She really is beautiful.” Cas’ face was full of adoration.

Dean nuzzled closer. “She really is. She’s perfect.” He knew all parents thought that about their children but he was certain it was true. Mary Anna Winchester was absolutely, positively perfect.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yaaaay baby! I hope everyone still enjoyed the chapter, even though most of it was birthing stuff. I really want to make the story as realistic as possible.....hence why I spent a ton of time reading about pregnancy and learned more about it than I ever wanted to know. ICK. I never needed to know that they measure your cervix dilation with nothing but their fingers. Everyone always tells me that, while I'm trying to pop out a baby, I won't be concerned with anything else going on, but they don't take into account later on. Cuz once I'm more coherent I will totally be looking at that nurse and thinking "you TOTALLY had your hand in my vagina."
> 
> My mom is actually responsible for a lot of the details. She's a secretary on the maternity floor at a hospital and wonderfully did not get bothered when I was asking her details about such things as cervix dilation. Thank you, mom.
> 
> Again, I hope you aren't bothered that this chapter was mostly birthing details. Next chapter will have the families meeting Mary, so prepare for that!


	7. Chapter 7

It was strange waking up in a hospital room when you weren’t the patient. Dean and Cas had spent the night on the pullout couch, refusing to leave Mary or Claire. It was surprisingly comfortable though, for hospital furniture. Mary had been taken away to the nursery for the night, but brought back the next day. It was wonderful, being able to hold her and feed her. She was an impossibly happy baby. Dean couldn’t wait for his family to meet her. He had called them yesterday evening to let them know she had been born and naturally they had wanted to come visit, but he and Cas had thought it best they wait until the next day, to give both Mary and Claire some time to rest up.

“You’re sure this is okay?” Dean asked the question for what must have been the twelfth time. Claire laughed. She had managed to get in a decent night’s sleep and was in a good mood.

“Dean, I’m positive. I’m sure they all want to see the baby.”

Dean smiled. He knew that his parents and siblings were DYING to see Mary, and he was sure Cas’ family was much the same. And Charlie? God, he couldn’t imagine how Charlie would react when they brought Mary home. He was only worried that, with all those people there today, Claire would feel odd or left out. “Thanks, Claire.”

“Besides,” she was grinning, “if you called them now and told them to turn around and head home, I’m pretty sure they would kill you.”

He laughed. “Most likely.”

“Ellen would SLAUGHTER you,” Cas grinned. “Keeping her from her granddaughter.”

“Honestly, I’m most afraid to see what GABE will do.”

Cas groaned. “Oh dear God don’t remind me. I don’t want to THINK about it.”

Dean laughed. “I don’t know, I’m rather looking forward to Uncle Gabe.” Cas groaned again and Claire burst into laughter.

“I have to agree with Dean.”

“Somehow you always do when he’s at his most obnoxious.”

“Oh, shut up.” Dean kissed Cas, a smile on his face as he murmured “you love me.”

“I _adore_ you.”

Mary chose that minute to wake up, beginning to cry. “Aww!” Laughing, Dean moved to the crib. “Is someone upset?” He carefully scooped the baby into his arms, then looked inquisitively up at the other two. “Maybe she’s hungry?”

Both of them shrugged helplessly, no more knowledge on the subject than Dean. “Probably,” Cas said. “I’m sure a nurse can—“ But he hadn’t finished speaking before the nurse was there in the doorway. “Oh. Hi.”

“Is she hungry?” The nurse came over to look at Mary, then up at Claire. “I’m guessing you don’t want to breast feed her.” Claire practically recoiled at the suggestion and Dean wasn’t fully able to suppress a snort of laughter; Cas bit back a smile. Luckily the nurse wasn’t offended. “I didn’t think so.” She stroked Mary’s head, then gave them a smile. “I’ll be back in a minute with some formula.”

“Thank you.” Dean rocked Mary in his arms, humming softly to her.

“Hey,” Claire’s voice broke the soft, near-silence of the room. “Do you two still have your little gag gift from Gabriel?”

Cas laughed. “The breast pump? Yeah. Why do you ask?”

“I just thought….I could always use it and give you milk for Mary.” Dean looked up at her in surprise; her cheeks were flushed. “I mean if you want to exchange it for something else I totally understand. I just thought I’d offer.”

“Claire….” Cas shook his head, unable to find words. “That…..really?” She nodded with a smile, happy that her suggestion had been well-received. “That would be great!”

The nurse reentered, bottle in hand; she offered it to Dean. “Here.” She stuck around for a moment to watch as he fed the baby, wanting to make certain he was doing it right. Seemingly satisfied, she went to the bedside to check on Claire and then left.

Mary’s squalling had quieted as soon as that bottle had touched her tiny mouth, and she was sucking away contentedly. Cas watched Dean with their daughter, how beautiful he looked with that expression of complete and utter happiness and sheer adoration on his face. He couldn’t help it, he leaned in and kissed Dean’s temple. “I love you,” he murmured. 

Dean looked up at him in surprise. “I love you too,” he said with a little laugh. “What prompted _that?_ ”

Cas shook his head. “Nothing. Just….the way you’re looking at her…” Dean blushed and _God_ , it was beautiful. Cas stroked his cheek, aware that Claire was watching the two of them with a smile. He looked to her. “What.”

“You two. So damn cute.”

“Aw, shut up,” Dean grumbled, cheeks flushing even more. But she only laughed.

There was a knock at the door, then Ellen’s voice saying “hello?”

“Majka!” He turned towards the door to see his whole family entering. He wasn’t sure how they’d swung that. Wasn’t there a limit on visitors? Would Chuck and Gabe be able to get in? He hadn’t even thought of that. But there wasn’t time to linger on it when he saw the look in Ellen’s eyes, the way she was staring at Mary.

“Oh my God,” she said, her voice barely audible. She looked down at the baby, still feeding in Dean’s arms. “She’s _perfect_.”

“Isn’t she just.”

Ellen’s gaze returned upwards, turning to Claire. Claire, who was watching the group of them with a smile on her face. She jumped slightly beneath Ellen’s gaze, uncertain, even moreso as Ellen approached her. But the woman just leaned in and kissed her forehead, whispering “thank you.”

Claire blushed crimson. “I……” Her words were a mumble, embarrassed. “You’re welcome.”

Jo was totally freaking out over Mary. Cas would bet good money that Sam was as well…..he just hid it better. But he wore a huge smile, a fingertip stroking one tiny hand, and it was painfully clear he was going to be the most ridiculously doting uncle.

“Cas?”

Cas whirled to the door to see his father and brother there. Well. That answered Dean’s question about whether or not they’d let everyone in the room. “Hey!”

“Where’s my granddaughter?” Chuck managed to shove his way through to get a look at Mary, and his face softened. “She’s beautiful.” He looked up at Claire with a smile. “Absolutely beautiful.”

Cas was surprised to see how incredibly emotional Gabriel looked. He had expected smartass remarks and he was sure they would come but _this?_ This he had not expected. “You okay, Gabe?”

It seemed as if the spell was broken and Gabriel nodded. “Can I see her?” Chuck and Sam parted to make way for Gabe and he poked at Mary, gently tapping her nose. “Hello there, ya little stinker.”

“Hey!” Cas gave his brother a shove. “She’s not a stinker!” He could hear Sam and Jo laughing, his father snickering.

“Fine then…..monkey.”

Cas rolled his eyes. “I knew you were gonna be a dick.”

“Don’t worry.” Gabe was grinning. “I’ll make sure and find the perfect nickname.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Mary was finished eating now; Dean set the bottle aside. He knew that most likely everyone wanted to hold the baby but he also knew that wasn’t a good idea. There were just too many of them….it wouldn’t be good for Mary to hand her off to so many people. Instead he passed her to Cas, who was immediately surrounded by the families, everyone wanting another look at the baby.

“Can I….” Ellen’s voice was hesitant. “Can I hold her?”

Dean and Cas exchanged looks. “Well….all of you can’t hold her today. It’s too many people. So decide amongst yourselves and one or two can take turns….okay?”

Ellen was the unanimous choice for one. Chuck claimed the other spot. Dean had been expecting the expression of sheer adoration on his majka’s face, but the amount of love on Chuck’s face honestly surprised him. Seeing the man sitting there, gently rocking the baby in his arms with that loving smile? It filled Dean with happiness, and when he looked at Cas he saw tears in those blue eyes. He squeezed Cas’ hand, giving the man a smile, which Cas returned.

All too soon the nurse came in to tell them it was time for the visit to end. Everyone was reluctant to go, taking far too much time to say goodbye to Mary. Ellen thanked Claire again, giving her another hug. The girl was clearly uncomfortable but happy all at once, even awkwardly hugging Ellen back. The nurse had to usher them out of the room, Ellen looking reluctantly over her shoulder and giving a wave, and then the three of them were alone. Well…..four of them.

Amazingly, Mary was still quite calm, despite all the attention. She was fidgeting slightly, but no real fussing. Dean and Cas would be spending the night on the couch again, leaving with Mary tomorrow, Claire heading home. At least Cas _thought_ she’d be going home. He honestly wasn’t certain. Her mother was never around. Who would be taking care of her?

“Claire?”

“Yes?”

He wasn’t entirely certain how to bring it up, so he just went for it. “…..do you want to come home with us?”

Claire looked at him in surprise. “What?”

“Well I mean…..you need someone around…” _God_ , this was awkward. Luckily Claire got his meaning without him explaining and she smiled, amusement on her face. 

“Thanks, Cas. But I’ll be okay.”

“Are you sure?” That was Dean. 

“I’m sure. Besides. You two have a new baby to look after.”

“Claire, don’t let that be the reason—“ but Claire interrupted him.

“It’s not. I mean, I DO want you two to have lots of alone time with her. But I’m fine. Really.”

Neither was fully convinced but it was clear Claire wasn’t going to budge. Cas nodded. “Okay.” He stroked her hair. “But you call us if you need us, you got it?”

Smiling, she nodded. “I will. Promise.”

“Claire?”

They looked to the door and there stood a blonde woman. The resemblance to Claire was uncanny. Dean looked to Claire, who looked even more surprised than he felt.

“Mom?”

The woman entered the room, tears in her eyes. She moved to her daughter’s side almost hesitantly, as though she weren’t sure that Claire wanted her there.

“You must be Claire’s mom.”

The woman’s gaze turned to Cas with surprise, as if she hadn’t seen the boys there and she might not have, her attention focused so completely on her daughter. “Yes. I’m Amelia.” Her eyes flickered down to look at the baby in Cas’ arms, then back up to the two men. “And you….you’re the ones who brought my little girl here?" They nodded. "The ones she's been spending all her time with?" 

"Yes ma'am." 

"And you're keeping the baby." It wasn’t a question, but they felt compelled to answer anyway. Dean glanced at Claire, who nodded encouragingly, telling him to continue. 

"Yes." 

The woman gently stroked Mary's head. "You take care of her, you hear?" Her voice was thick, as though she was going to cry. "Just like you did my baby girl."

Cas felt his heart melt at that. Whatever sins Amelia may have committed in her life, it was clear that she truly did love her daughter. Even moreso from the expression in her eyes as she looked at Claire, so loving and yet scared, afraid that Claire wouldn’t accept that love.

For a moment Claire didn’t respond, simply regarding her mother silently; then, she reached out a hand. Her mother let out a little laugh that was almost a broken sob and took her daughter’s hand, leaning in to kiss Claire’s forehead.

It was too much….seeing them reconcile like that. Dean was filled with warmth; he could tell from the smile on Cas’ face that he felt much the same. “Well…..we’ll leave you two alone for a little while.” There was a question in his eyes as he looked at Claire, asking if that was okay, but she nodded. Cas gently placed Mary in her crib and the two men left the room, giving Claire and her mother some space.

 

**~*~**

 

“So….everything went okay?”

Claire nodded. “I guess she’s wanted to be more involved but she’s been picking up extra hours lately so she just didn’t have the time. But she took some time off so she’ll be home for me while I recover.”

Cas smiled. “That’s nice.”

Dean nudged Cas. “Get up. I gotta pull out the couch.”

Cas heaved a sigh. “So bossy.”

“You like it when I’m bossy.”

That made Cas laugh. “It’s totally the reverse and you know it.”

“Mmm. Totally true.”

Claire shook her head, rolling her eyes. “Yes, guys, please do tell me all the sordid details of your sex life.”

Dean laughed as he finished setting up the couch-bed. “Oh, honey, it gets MUCH more sordid than that.”

“I believe you.” She burrowed deeper under the blankets. “Kinky fuckers.” Cas snorted. Dean just grinned, flicking out the lights.

“You know it.” He returned to the bed, crawling in beside Cas and snuggling up close. “We should get to bed. We’re leaving tomorrow. It’s a big day.”

“Sounds good.” It was easy to hear the smile in Claire’s voice as she answered. Now she had someone to go home to. Things were going to be much better for her from here on out.

Dean nuzzled into his customary position, head on Cas’ chest, tucked up under his chin. “Night, everyone.”

“Goodnight.”

Cas smiled, running his fingers through Dean’s hair. Tomorrow they would be home, with their daughter. She would go to sleep in the hobbit nursery the two of them had made for her. They would read her stories, and sing to her at night, and together the three of them would be completely, impossibly, insanely happy.

He fell asleep, Dean in his arms, thinking of how good things had been since he had met Dean and how much impossibly better they were going to get.

 

**~fin~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be much more interaction with the family later. Honestly, that many people would NEVER be allowed in to visit at once haha, but for the sake of the story it had to happen. But it really wouldn't be good to have the baby passed around between that many people, so you'll see them all interact more with Mary later.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The artwork is NOT mine, I found it online and thought it was perfect for this story.

They had checked out fairly early the next day, waving goodbye to Claire and her mother and heading home with their new baby girl. She was remarkably calm, all things considered, but when they got home and went to remove her from the car seat she began to fuss.

“Shhh shh, it’s okay,” Dean hushed, scooping Mary into his arms. “Let’s get you inside….get you something to eat.” Cas unpacked the bag with all the necessities the nurse had given him, leading the way into the house and holding the door for Dean and the baby.

“Hey, Mary.” He smiled, stroking her tiny head. “You’re home.” Her response was to start squalling. Dean laughed.

“Oh, and she sounds _so_ happy to be here.”

Cas smiled at Dean. “She will be.” He stroked Dean’s cheek, leaning in for a kiss. “We’ll make her happy.”

Dean returned Cas’ smile, nodding. “We will.”

 

[ ](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/cockles_by_irensupernatural-d7gjwsk_zps9b868296.png.html)

 

**~*~**

 

Mary was nearly as perfect as the two men thought she was. She slept more than they’d expected, which had them worried for a while, as any paranoid new parents would be. They spent a ridiculous amount of time simply standing over her crib, more than happy to watch her sleep, knowing they were being silly but not caring. They had their baby and she was perfect. Still, despite how well behaved she was, she woke crying at a volume quite amazing for such a tiny baby.

“She screams rather loud, doesn’t she?” Cas gently rocked her as Dean warmed a bottle.

“Yup. Great set of pipes on this one.” Dean handed over the bottle and Mary immediately settled as Cas fed her.

“When’re Charlie and the others coming over?”

“Charlie and Bela will be here in about half an hour. I think Sam will be here shortly after that.”

“What about Benny and Ash and Garth? Are they coming today?”

“Not sure. Everyone wants to see her.”

“I’m not surprised.” Cas leaned in closer, cooing “such a gorgeous girl, aren’t you? Of course everyone wants to see you.” Dean stifled a laugh; Cas looked at him. “What. It’s true.”

“It is. But your baby talk is adorable.”

“Oh, shut up.”

There came a knock at the front door and the men looked at each other in surprise. “Charlie and Bela?”

“They’re early.” Dean headed to the door, pulling it open and sure enough, the two women stood there. Lauryn was between them as she usually was.

“Hi!” Charlie said brightly.

“You’re early, Bradbury.”

“I wanna see the ragamuffin.”

“Ragamuffin?” Dean echoed. “You’re almost as bad as Gabriel.”

“Where is she.” But then Cas entered the room with Mary and Charlie’s whole face lit up. “OH MY GOD!” She was at Castiel’s side in an instant. “She’s ADORABLE!”

Dean couldn’t help but smile. “She’s perfect.”

Bela joined Charlie at Cas’ side, gently stroking Mary’s cheek with one fingertip. “She really is.”

Lauryn took hold of Bela’s pant leg, one tiny fist tugging at the fabric. “Ma?”

“Oh, sorry baby. I didn’t mean to ignore you.” Bela bent down and scooped Lauryn into her arms. Immediately the tiny redhead caught sight of Mary, her eyes widening. Dean laughed.

“What’s that, Lauryn? You see the baby?”

“Baby?”

Dean nodded with a smile. “That’s right.” He gently pinched Lauryn’s nose and with a giggle, she swatted at his hand. “Baby. You two’ll be good friends.”

“Can I hold her?” That was Charlie. Cas nodded, carefully handing Mary over. Charlie held Mary up in the air, examining her. “…..the Force is strong with this one.”

Dean and Cas burst into laughter; Bela, having to live with this sort of thing every day, rolled her eyes. “Such an ass.”

“Hey, _you_ married me.”

“God help me, I did.”

Charlie cradled Mary close to her chest, cooing “Hey, Mary. I’m your aunt Charlie. I’m going to teach you about _Lord of the Rings_ , and Link, and Glados, and the Avengers, and _Breaking Bad_ —“

“For the love of God, Charlie, she’s only an infant! _Breaking Bad??_ ”

Charlie grinned at Dean. “Hey, I’ll wait till she’s an appropriate age.”

Dean just shook his head. “You’re gonna cause a ton of trouble, aren’t you.”

“One can only hope.”

They managed a nice, calm visit for about half an hour. Then the front door opened and Sam barged in. “Hey! Where’s my niece?” His eyes immediately zeroed in on Mary and he rushed to Charlie’s side. “I wanna hold her. Let me hold her.”

Laughing, Charlie carefully handed her over. Sam’s face was aglow as he looked at Mary. “Hey, baby girl.” His voice was soft. Dean smiled as he watched his brother. Sam was clearly going to be a ridiculously doting uncle.

“I’m glad you’re here, Sam.”

Sam glanced up at Dean, smiling. “Me too. I was gonna bring Sarah but I figured the less people, the better.”

Dean felt a wave of disappointment. He knew Sam was right, that it was better to have less people, but he liked Sarah. She was good for Sam.

“Yea,” he said, agreeing with Sam, even if he would have liked her to be there. “Thanks for that.”

Sam sat on the couch, gently rocking Mary in his arms. “When’re mom and dad and Jo coming?” 

“Later tonight. Chuck and Gabe are coming this afternoon.” It had been interesting trying to fit everyone in. Sam seemed to have the same idea, chuckling and leaning in to speak to Mary, voice no more than a soft coo.

“Everyone wants to see you, huh baby girl?”

“They sure do.” Dean stroked her forehead.

Charlie and Bela were watching the two brothers with a smile, but then Lauryn, who had been sitting with Cas, behaving quite well, began crying. “Oh, no.” Charlie went to her, crouching in front of her. “I think someone’s all tuckered out.”

“Having new baby envy,” Bela chimed in. Cas laughed.

“Maybe. It’s always hard when a new kid shows up.” He stroked Lauryn’s hair.

“We should probably get her home.” Charlie scooped Lauryn into her arms, running her hands through that red hair in an attempt to soothe her. Mary was beginning to fuss now at the continued crying.

“Okay.” Cas and Dean walked the two women to the door. “I’m glad you two came by.”

Bela smiled. “Like we would’ve missed this.” She kissed each boy on the cheek. “We’ll see you soon.”

Dean and Cas waved goodbye and then returned inside. Sam clearly hadn’t missed them at all, completely enamored of the tiny baby in his arms. Dean chuckled at the sight. “Happy?”

Sam looked up at his brother with a smile. “She really is perfect, Dean.”

Dean smiled. “I’m glad we all agree.”

 

**~*~**

 

Gabe and Chuck arrived while Sam was still there, which honestly wasn’t surprising. Dean would expect all of their family members to want to spend as much time with Mary as possible. Still, Sam didn’t infringe upon the Novaks’ time, saying a reluctant goodbye to Mary and heading out.

Gabe was finding it difficult to get Mary away from his father. Chuck had taken to the grandpa thing like you wouldn’t believe, and he was holding Mary close, cooing soft endearments to her.

“Dad,” Gabe complained. “Aren’t you gonna let me hold her at all?”

Cas bit back a laugh. “Yeah, dad, you really should share.”

Chuck heaved an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. If I must.” He carefully passed Mary off to Gabe, who pulled her close, smiling down at her.

“Hey there, kiddo.” He stroked her cheek. “Can tell you’re not actually Cas’ spawn. Too cute.”

Cas rolled his eyes. “Har har, Gabe.”

“Yeah,” Chuck chimed in. “Your brother was a cute baby. You, on the other hand…”

“Hey!” Gabriel interjected indignantly. “I was _adorable!_ ”

“You had a fat face and were always grinning like an idiot,” Cas shot back. Every single photo of Gabe had him wearing the same huge grin.

“I was a happy baby.” Gabe leaned in to whisper to Mary “daddy Cas is the mean daddy, isn’t he.”

Dean reentered the room with a bottle for Mary; he arched a brow at Gabriel. “Are you making fun of my husband?”

“Yup.” The answer was immediate.

“Figures.” Dean kissed Cas on the cheek; turning to Gabe, he cocked his head. “Think you can handle feeding her?”

Gabe held out his hand for the bottle. “I think I’ve got it.” And sure enough, Mary accepted the bottle from him without complaint. He smiled down at her as she fed. “Still need a name for you, you little monster.”

“She has a name, jerk.” Though Dean knew Gabe was not to be deterred.

“Rugrat?” Gabe wondered aloud; he shook his head. “Nah, you’re not crawling yet. File that one away for later.”

Cas rolled his eyes. “By all means.”

Chuck was smiling as he watched them, happily taking in the whole picture; he looked to Dean. “When are your parents coming?”

Dean glanced at the clock. “Ah….a little over a half hour.” He was really looking forward to it. He had seen Ellen with Mary, and even Jo got up close to her, but he hadn’t really gotten a chance to see Bobby with her. He couldn’t wait for that. “My sister’ll be there, too.”

“Oh, good. That’ll be nice.” There was something wistful in that smile now. “I really appreciate you boys giving her ‘Anna’ for her middle name.”

Dean felt Cas’ arm wrap around him, looked to see the proud smile on Cas’ face as he replied “that was Dean’s idea.”

Chuck’s smile grew, so grateful. “Thank you, Dean.” Dean could feel his cheeks burning.

“I….you’re welcome. I really wish I could have met her. Your Anna, I mean.”

There was a sadness in that smile. “So do I. She really would have liked you.”

Cas had said the same words to him before, but it still meant so much hearing them from Chuck, and Dean’s heart skipped a little beat. He nodded. “Thank you. I’m sure I would have liked her.”

“Getting a little heavy here guys, aren’t you?” Gabe was gently bouncing Mary in his arms. She was beginning to fuss, despite being fed, and he was trying to settle her, but it wasn’t working. “I think she wants one of her daddies.”

“Here,” Dean held out his arms and took Mary from Gabe. She was definitely beginning to cry. “We should probably put her down for a nap before my family gets here.” His face was apologetic. “I’m sorry to cut your visit short.”

“No, not at all,” Chuck was completely understanding. “Raised two of them myself. I know how they can get.” He clapped a hand on Cas’ shoulder. “This one was a complete fussbudget.”

“Hey!” Cas was indignant. Chuck just laughed, Dean joining in. Cas scowled. “Jerk.”

“Well, I guess we should be on our way.” Chuck tugged on his jacket. It was warm out, for April, but it was wet. “We’ll see you soon?”

Cas nodded. “I’ll be in touch…..make plans to get together again.”

“Okay.” Chuck gave his son a hug. “See you later.” He would normally have hugged Dean but the man currently had his hands full with Mary; Chuck settled for a wave. “Bye, Dean!”

Dean waved as best he could and then Chuck and Gabe were gone. He actually sighed with relief. He had loved having them there but once Mary started crying he just wanted to focus all his attention on taking care of her. 

“You okay, baby?” He carried her to the nursery. “Maybe you need to be changed. Let’s get you changed, get you to bed.”

Yup, she needed a diaper change. Never a fun chore, but he’d had to do Sam’s diapers when he was just a kid, so this was nothing new. Besides, it’s not like it took long.

“There,” he said soothingly. “Nice and dry.” 

Dean heard a muffled noise from behind him and he turned to see Cas watching him with a smile on his face, clearly trying to hold back laughter. “What. What’s so funny?”

“You. Talking to our daughter while you change her.”

“Oh, don’t act like you don’t do it. I’ve seen you.” Dean finished putting Mary into a clean onesie and gently lay her in her crib. Cas chuckled, coming up beside him.

“Maybe.” He stroked Dean’s hair, looking down at the baby, no longer crying, with a smile. “She’s so beautiful,” he said softly. Dean hummed his agreement, turning to give Cas a kiss.

“C’mon,” he murmured. “Let’s let her get some sleep.”

Cas nodded, a smile curving across his lips. “Her next band of adoring fans will be here soon enough.”

Dean barely managed to bite back his laughter and together they left the room, hand in hand. He snickered; Cas looked at him in surprise. “What. What is it?”

Dean grinned at him. “Fussbudget?”

Cas flushed red. “Shut up!”

“No. That’s HILARIOUS!”

Cas was scowling. “I hate you.”

“You do not.” Dean leaned in, kissing Cas soft and slow. “Let’s get to our room,” he murmured. “We’ve got a bit of time left…if we rush things.”

Cas felt all the heat flee from his face at those words, rushing downwards. “Well, then,” he whispered, taking Dean’s hand with a smile. “We’d better get going.”

 

**~*~**

 

Sure enough, the Singer-Harvelles were there within half an hour. Mary was still sound asleep but Dean knew it wouldn’t be for long. Not with all the noise his family made.

“Where’s my baby girl?” The words were out of Ellen’s mouth practically before she’d made it in the door. Dean laughed.

“Gee, majka, nice to see you too.”

Ellen shook her head with a smile and leaned in, kissing Dean on the cheek. “Oh, hush. You know I love you.”

“I know, I know.” Dean noticed Sam there. “Hey. What’re YOU doing here. You already HAD your visit today.”

Cas was grinning. “Sneaking extra time, are we?” Sam had the good grace to look abashed. 

Dean shook his head in mock disapproval. “Greedy bastard.” 

“Oh, shut up.” Sam glared at his brother, but Dean just laughed.

“You didn’t answer me,” Ellen cut in. “Where’s my granddaughter?”

“Sleeping,” Cas replied. Ellen looked crestfallen. “Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time with her. Everyone else has visited for the day.”

“Oh, good.”

Those words came from Bobby and both men looked at him in surprise. Bobby had been extremely quiet at the hospital….it’d been hard to figure out just what he was feeling. But now….he at least wanted to see Mary, that much was clear.

As if on cue, the baby started crying.

“I knew it,” Dean said. “I knew you loudmouths would wake her up.”

“Hey!” Jo was indignant. 

“Don’t even start, you’re loud and you know it.”

Cas just laughed from where he was heading down the hallway to collect the baby. She was wailing now. He scooped her up into his arms, which honestly didn’t do much to stop her squalling. He headed back down the hallway, gently stroking her back as he went, murmuring softly soothing words.

Ellen’s face positively lit up when she saw the baby. “Awww, poor Mary.” But the baby was beginning to calm down now beneath Castiel’s ministrations.

“She’ll be okay. She’s just all tuckered out.” Cas pressed a gentle kiss to the baby’s forehead. Dean smiled to see it. His husband was so Goddamn adorable with their daughter.

“Can I…” Dean turned at the sound of Bobby’s voice, and the man flushed beneath his gaze. “Can I hold her?”

Dean felt a fluttering in his chest; he nodded. “Of course.” He looked to Cas, who offered the baby to Bobby. The older man took Mary into his arms carefully, looking at her as though she were something precious, and Dean was astonished to notice that there were tears in Bobby’s eyes. “…Bobby?” His voice was hesitant. 

“….I never….” Then Bobby looked up at Dean, and there was something there, a shy sort of happiness that seemed so out of place on Bobby’s face. “My wife and me never had kids and now you….” The words seemed hard for him to say and Dean would guess they were; Bobby wasn’t really one for sharing his emotions. “…I truly think of you as my son. I could never have a better one. And you’ve given Ellen and I this wonderful gift.” He smiled, the kind of smile that set his whole face aglow. “I can never thank you enough for this.”

Dean stared at Bobby, beyond shocked to hear such emotional words come pouring out of him, and so touched, so unbelievably touched. He moved to Bobby, putting his arms around the man carefully so as not to touch or upset Mary. “I love you…dad.” He had never said that name, despite the fact that he had thought of Bobby as his father for so many years now; he wasn’t sure how Bobby would take it. But he heard Bobby’s intake of breath and then Cas was gently taking Mary so Bobby could give Dean a real hug.

“I’m so glad you think of me that way,” he said, his voice tight.

Dean nodded. “I have since high school.” He smiled at Bobby. “You gave me everything my old dad never did, and I can never thank you for that. There aren’t enough words.”

Bobby shook his head. “You don’t need them.” Ellen was smiling fit to split her face. Bobby flushed when he saw it, giving her a cross look that was much more like Bobby, one of those faces that was all bluster and no true anger behind it. “What’re you smiling at, wife?”

“My two boys. So cute.” Both Dean and Bobby flushed and Ellen’s smile only grew. She rose, moving to the two men and pinching their cheeks. “And now they’re blushing.” Bobby swatted at her hand.

“I’m gonna get you for this.”

“Mmm…” Ellen hummed, seating herself on Bobby’s lap. “I’m looking forward to it,” she murmured.

Dean made a face. “Ug. Come on guys…really?”

“Hey, at least you don’t have to live with them!” Sam complained. Dean laughed.

“Good point. Enjoy listening to all that sex tonight.”

“Ew!” Sam picked up a coaster off a nearby table and threw it at Dean, who just laughed as he ducked it.

Cas shook his head with a smile as he watched all of the proceedings. Watching Dean with his adoptive father had filled him with happiness. But Mary wasn’t going to behave forever. He gestured to Ellen. “Do you want to hold her?”

Ellen’s face lit up. “Of course I do!”

So Mary was handed off to Ellen (after she had moved from Bobby’s lap, of course), who immediately began cooing nonsense to her.

“God,” Dean said as he watched her; he glanced at Cas. “She’s gonna run off with our baby.”

“I don’t think so,” Cas smiled.

“Don’t worry,” and they turned as Bobby spoke up. “I may love that baby but not so much to let Ellen take her into our house. I’m still stuck with your obnoxious brother and sister.”

“Hey!” Sam was indignant; Dean and Cas laughed. Dean looked at Bobby, who was looking back at him with a smile and a twinkle in his eye, a mark of all they had just shared, and Dean was filled with warmth. He had gained so much in the past few days, and he knew now more than ever what a wonderful life he had.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope having an emotional Bobby didn't seem too out of place. I had a hard time trying to get across all I wanted to say because honestly, on the show, he really DOESN'T show his emotions that much. It made things difficult. Grah.
> 
> Claire is probably not going to be back for a while, but she WILL return eventually.


	9. Chapter 9

The friends came by the next day. It was the last group to see Mary. Hopefully things would return to relative normality after that. Dean was certain they’d be getting much more company than usual for a while, people wanting to see the baby, but it would slowly taper off.

As he’d expected, Benny was the biggest teddy bear EVER, cradling Mary close to him and whispering softly soothing words. Dean watched him with a smile. It was positively adorable, and he knew Benny was going to make an amazing honorary uncle. He could picture Mary in elementary school, upset because somebody picked on her, and Benny showing up to put the fear of God into that kid. Not that he’d have to (Dean and Cas would have taken care of that themselves) but the fact that Benny would do it instantly, without being told, was something. 

Ash was crouched down in front of where Benny was sitting so that he was eye level with the baby. “….so are we gonna talk about the fact that she was born on April Fool’s Day?”

Dean let out a burst of laughter; Cas looked at Ash, amused. “What exactly is there to talk about?”

Ash looked up at Cas. “Well you know that this means she’s gonna have the most epic birthdays every year, right? I mean you can’t just ignore something like that. You gotta punk her.”

Dean and Cas looked at each other then back to Ash. “….Ash, are you suggesting we ‘punk’ our infant daughter?”

“Well no, you wait till she’s a kid.” Ash said this as though it should be completely obvious.

“Oh, so when she’s two it’s okay?”

“Well, yeah!”

Cas looked to Dean; the blonde shook his head. “Ash, I’m sorry but you’re insane,” Cas responded.

“What? Why?”

“Because you can’t punk a toddler! She won’t understand!”

“Psh, fine.” Ash gently poked the tip of Mary’s nose. “Still gotta do it eventually. You can’t have your kid’s birthday be April Fool’s Day and NOT take advantage of that.”

Sitting nearby, Garth shook his head, a smile on his face, and ran his slim fingers through Jo’s long blonde hair. Dean and Cas had given her hell about sneaking in another day’s visit, just as they had with Sam, but she had just told them to stuff it and snatched Mary right out of Cas’ arms.

Mary began crying but Benny softly shushed her, rocking her gently, and she began to settle. Cas and Dean exchanged wide eyed looks.

“Holy shit.”

Benny looked up at them. “What?”

Cas grinned. “Now we know who to go to when we need a babysitter.”

“Hey!” Jo immediately protested. “What about me? I’m her aunt!”

“I don’t know,” Dean considered Jo. “Are you gonna be a normal teenage girl and invite your boyfriend over and spend the whole night making out?” Garth, in a move quite unlike him, gave Dean the finger. The blonde burst out laughing, hands deflecting the pillow Jo threw at him.

There came a knock on the door. Cas looked at Dean in surprise. “Were we expecting anyone else today?”

“Not that I know of.” 

Cas made his way to the door, but he was even more surprised when he saw who was behind it. “Amelia!”

Dean’s head whipped about to see Claire’s mother standing in the door. Jo looked to him, mouthing ‘Amelia?’, clearly wondering who this was. Dean ignored her, rising to his feet and joining Cas at the door. “Hey, Amelia! Would you like to come in?”

“Oh…thank you.” She seemed shy, and Cas could understand. After all, they had only met each other once. She stopped dead when she saw the crowd in the living room. “Oh. You have company.”

“Nah, not company,” Dean waved it off. “Just a bunch of jerks.”

“Hey!” Jo interjected again. Dean pointed at her.

“That one’s my sister.”

“Feel the brotherly love,” Jo said dryly. Amelia smiled, clearly put much more at ease by the friendly banter.

“Well, I don’t want to stay and bother you…I just wanted to bring you this.” She held up a bag. Cas took it from her, looking up at her inquiringly. 

“What is it?”

“Milk. From Claire.”

“Oh!” Both of them had completely forgotten about that. Cas pulled the bag closer, smiling gratefully. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Amelia glanced over at the group, who was watching all the goings-on, unable to help noticing Mary asleep in Benny’s arms. Dean saw where she was looking and smiled.

“Would you like to hold her?”

Amelia jumped at the question, startled. “What? Oh, no.”

“Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes. But….” Clearly she was nervous about something. “Would it possibly be alright for me to come with Claire sometime when she visits?”

Cas’ face melted into a smile. “Of course it’s okay.”

Amelia looked so happy. “Thank you.” She glanced around the room at the assorted friends; it was clear she was still a bit ill at ease around so many strangers. “I'd better get going.”

“Okay. Tell Claire thanks for us, will you? And that we miss her.”

Amelia smiled at that, nodding. “I will.” She gave a tiny wave to the others in the room, a final smile to the boys. “She’ll be by soon, I know it.”

“Good. Thanks for coming by.” And with a final wave Amelia left, Dean shutting the door behind her.

The others were looking curiously at the bag in Castiel’s hands. “What’s that?” Ash asked.

“Milk, from Claire.” Cas adjusted the bag in his arms. “She’d have to be pumping anyway and we had the pump that Gabriel gave us…”

“Like an ass,” Dean cut in, and Cas laughed.

“Yeah. Like an ass. So she offered to give us the milk for Mary.”

“Wow.” Ash was staring. “And that’s not weird? For either of you? You guys or her, I mean.”

Dean and Cas looked at each other. Honestly it had never occurred to either of them. Cas shook his head. “No. I mean otherwise we’d be buying formula. Obviously we still are, since we never know when we’ll be hearing from Claire and we don’t want to risk running out of food, but it’s nice to be able to give Mary real milk.”

“Are we ever going to meet this girl?” Jo was still sitting in Garth’s lap, hands running through his floppy hair, but she definitely looked interested in Claire, and it made Dean so happy to see. He nodded.

“I hope so. She plans to still come around, so as soon as she’s ready, we’ll have you guys over to meet her.”

“Well that’s good, right? That she’s going to be around still?”

Cas nodded. “We’ve become very close. She’s adamant about Mary knowing for certain that Dean and I are her parents, but as long as we can make that work, she wants to keep coming around. And I know that we can.”

Benny smiled. “You _definitely_ can.” He ran one finger over the tip of Mary’s tiny nose. “This little girl is gonna absolutely _adore_ you two.” The words filled both men with joy. They both shared that belief but hearing it from someone else meant so much.

“You got that right.” Dean headed over to Benny and picked up their daughter. “You’re our baby girl, huh.”

Cas smiled as he watched Dean with their daughter, then he remembered the bag in his arms. “I’d better put this in the fridge.”

Jo rose from Garth’s lap. “Actually, we should all probably go and give you guys some space. I’m sure this baby girl needs some rest…..maybe some food.”

Dean nodded. “Good point.”

Everyone left at that point, following Jo’s lead. Dean was actually somewhat relieved. It had been an extremely nice visit and very calm (other than Mary’s tiny bit of fussing with Benny, she hadn’t cried ONCE), but there had been so much visiting the past few days…..it would be nice to spend the rest of the day alone, just the three of them.

Cas joined him in the nursery, bottle in hand. “Can I feed her?” Dean handed Mary to him, a smile on his face as he watched his husband feed their daughter. Cas looked so damn happy as he cradled the tiny baby in his arms. After a few moments he seemed to sense Dean’s gaze and he looked up. “What. What is it?”

Dean shook his head. “Nothing. I just love both of you so much.”

Cas’ answering smile was a sight to behold. He moved to Dean’s side and kissed him gently. “I love you, too.” Mary was finished with her bottle now; he gently stroked her cheek. “Let’s get this one all set, then I would like to take you to bed.”

It was impossible to miss the heat that rolled through those green eyes. “Oh?”

Cas nodded. “If you’ll let me.”

“Oh, I’ll let you.” Dean took Mary from Cas' arms and carried her to her crib, whispering to her again. “Daddy Cas is gonna take daddy Dean to bed and do horribly dirty things to him; yes, he is.” Cas burst into laughter; Dean looked over his shoulder with a smile. “What.”

“Just thinking how lucky we are she can’t understand you or we’d be paying for shrinks to help her work through her trauma.”

Dean grinned. “Why do you think I’m getting it all out there now?” Mary was settled in; he stroked her back. “Not like that’ll stop me from giving her a hard time when she gets older.”

Cas shook his head. “Poor Mary.” He watched his husband lean in and kiss their daughter’s head. He followed suit, stroking her soft, barely-there hair, and held out his hand to Dean. “C’mon, baby.”

Dean took his hand with a smile. “Take me to bed?”

Arousal rolled through Cas at that; he smiled. “Oh, I’m gonna.” He pulled Dean with him down the hall, the two of them laughing like a pair of teenagers.

They fell back onto the mattress, Cas pinning Dean. It had been over a week since they’d had sex…before Mary was born, now that he’d thought about it. As soon as she had entered their life, everything else had been pushed aside. They _did_ have one brief tryst in between visits, but for the most part everything had been completely revolving around Mary and her visitors. So right now? Now, as much as he loved his beautiful new daughter, he could get back to what had started all of this in the first place: this wonderful man beneath him, looking up at him with that bemused smile he wore whenever Cas got lost in his own thoughts for too long. True enough, as Cas was having that very thought, Dean gently patted the side of his face. “Hey!”

Those green eyes were smiling, crinkled at the corners. “You still with me?”

Cas nodded, hand cupping Dean’s cheek. “I’m still with you.”

“Good.” Dean pressed upwards, kissing Cas, pulling away to look him in the eye. “Then _be_ with me. And kiss me.”

Cas couldn’t help a chuckle, kissing Dean. “Sorry.”

“Should be.” Dean gave a little wriggle beneath Cas so that their hips rubbed together, and Cas gasped. “We have no idea how long we have before she wakes up.” 

If the feel of Dean’s hips against his hadn’t been enough to fully focus Cas on the situation at hand, the reminder of their daughter’s sleeping patterns (or lack thereof) certainly was. “Good point.” And he’d be damned if he didn’t make the most of that time. His hands went to the front of Dean’s shirt, about to rip it open, then he remembered that this wasn’t a button down. This was one of Dean’s band shirts, and Dean would probably not look favorably upon him tearing it.

True enough, Dean was looking at Cas with surprise at that sudden burst of passion, and a smile curved across those plump lips. “Well THAT got you going.”

“Shut up.” The words were whispered against Dean’s lips before Cas claimed them in a rough kiss, simultaneously rolling down against him. Dean made a happy hum into his mouth.

“C’mon, Cas,” he whispered. “More.” 

Cas began to kiss his way along Dean’s jawline….. _God_ , he had the most wonderfully chiseled jaw, it drove Cas wild…..and nuzzled that spot behind Dean’s ear that Dean loved so much. “Want me to take your pants off, baby,” he murmured. “Get you nice and naked for me?”

Oh God. Dean _loved_ it when Cas got this way, getting all riled up as things got more and more heated between them. He nodded. “Yes.” His voice was breathless. “Yes, please.”

Cas’ hand was between them, deft fingers flicking open the buttons on Dean’s slacks. “Lift your hips, baby,” his voice was soft. “Work with me.”

Dean obliged, raising his hips enough for Cas to get his fingers under the waistband, tugging both pants and boxer briefs down, tossing them aside. “ _Fuck_ ,” he managed. Cas looked up at him with an inquisitive smile.

“What.”

Dean shook his head. “Nothing, just…..I like it when you take my clothes off.” He flushed at the admission. Cas smiled, crawling closer until they were face to face once more.

“S’that right.” Dean managed a nod and Cas’ smile only grew; he stroked Dean’s cheek. “I like that.” Dean smiled at that, his pink cheeks ridiculously becoming.

“Yea?” Cas nodded. “Then what’re you waiting for? Take the rest of ‘em off.”

With a little laugh, Cas took hold of the bottom of Dean’s shirt and tugged it up and off, leaving Dean gloriously naked, and for once Dean didn’t immediately order Cas to strip as well. No, he seemed to be reveling in the feeling of having Cas’ hands on him, having Cas divest him of his clothes. He flopped back on the bed with a happy sigh, his entire body laid bare for Cas’ perusal.

God. Cas would never get over how damn gorgeous his husband was. He had filled out more since their high school days, lost that last bit of skinniness. Now he was all muscle. No matter which way, he was beyond beautiful, and Cas couldn’t stop staring, touching, hands running reverently over all that naked skin.

_Now_ Dean was reaching for Cas, hands tugging at Cas’ shirtfront. “ _Cas_ ,” he whined plaintively. 

Cas chuckled, making no move to remove his clothes, since he knew that was exactly what Dean wanted. He loved to hear Dean beg, to see him get all flushed and desperate. Instead he leaned in, kissing a path across Dean’s chest, lips brushing a nipple. Dean gasped at that, back arching at the touch. Oh, that was nice, Cas _loved_ to see Dean arch like that. He had such a beautiful back. That made him pause, thinking.

“Here.” He sat back, giving Dean a little nudge. “Roll over.”

Dean looked up at Cas. His face was hazy with lust but now there was confusion in his eyes. “I…..what?”

Cas gave Dean another little nudge. “I wanna see your back when I fuck you.”

Dean visibly shivered. He clearly liked that idea, and managed a nod. “Yea. That….. sounds like a _really_ good idea.”

Smiling, Cas slid his hands to Dean’s hips, trying to turn him over but Dean wouldn’t go. “Wait!” He put a hand to Cas’ chest, and the brunette looked at him questioningly. “Take your clothes off first. I wanna see you naked before you’ve got me on my knees.”

Those words struck something deep inside; Cas couldn’t have stopped the whimper had he tried. “Oh, _God_.” He could feel Dean’s reaching hands on him, fingertips slipping beneath his shirt and he obliged, grabbing the hem and tugging it up and off, casting it aside without a second thought.

“Pants,” Dean ordered. “Take off your Goddamn pants.” 

Cas pushed up off the bed, unzipping his jeans. Now that he was on his feet, Dean’s entire body on display, Cas’ eyes were unavoidably drawn to his cock, hard and flushed and oh-so pretty, with a glistening drop of precum at the tip. 

Before he knew what was happening, he was on the floor, kneeling between Dean’s legs. Dean pushed himself up to his elbows in surprise. “Cas?” But then Cas was pushing Dean’s knees wider apart, leaning in to lick along the length of Dean’s cock and Dean gasped, grabbing fistfuls of brown hair. “FUCK!”

Cas looked up at Dean with a smile. It was hard, what with how tight Dean was gripping his hair. “You like that, huh?”

Dean nodded rapidly. “Yes. Yes, please.”

“Oh?” Cas gave Dean’s cock another slow, teasing lick, delighting in the resulting moan. “Please what?”

“Cas!” Dean sounded completely frustrated, a whimper barely hidden in his voice. He gave Cas’ hair another tug. Cas couldn’t help but laugh.

“Let go of my hair, babe.” Even without looking, he knew Dean was shaking his head. “Baby, either get me the lube or let go of my hair so I can get it myself.”

THAT seemed to register with Dean and he let go of Cas’ hair, scrambling backwards on the bed and rolling over onto all fours so he could crawl to the bedside table where the lube was kept. Cas couldn’t take his eyes off of Dean’s now exposed ass. _God_ , it was so fucking gorgeous. 

Dean had just grabbed the bottle and was about to turn around with his find, triumphant, when he felt a hand on his back, shoving him down to all fours once more. He looked over his shoulder in surprise. Cas was looking at him with fire in his eyes; he held out a hand. “Give me that.”

Dean felt heat uncurl in his belly at the sight of Cas’ face. He couldn’t move with the way Cas had him pinned, so he tossed the bottle back in Cas’ direction. There was the briefest of pauses and then he felt one slick finger press into him. He immediately pressed back, seeking more, and got a swat to the butt.

“Can never behave, can you,” Cas murmured. Dean grinned, shaking his head.

“Never.”

Cas worked Dean open, a smile on his face. “Guess I should know that by now, huh.”

Dean laughed breathlessly. “After all these years? Probably.” He bit back a moan as Cas pressed hard on that sweet spot. “Definitely. Fuck. More.”

“Impatient bastard.”

“You know it.”

Cas twisted his fingers roughly, making Dean cry out in pleasure. “How you feel, baby.” He stroked Dean’s hip softly. “Good?”

Dean nodded rapidly, finding words difficult. “Yea. Yea. I…good. _Please_ , Cas.”

“You want me to fuck you?”

“Yes, Goddammit!”

Cas laughed at the mixture of need and frustration in Dean’s voice. “Okay, okay.” As he withdrew his fingers he made sure to drag them slowly over Dean’s prostate, wringing another whine from the man. Then, slicking his cock, he pressed all the way into Dean in one smooth thrust.

Dean bit back a moan as Cas breached him. _God_ , it had been too long. He clutched handfuls of the bedsheet. “ _Move_ , Cas,” he whispered.

Cas didn’t need any further entreaty. He gave a gentle roll of his hips, watching himself slide slowly in and out of Dean. There was something so sexy about it.

“ _Cas_.” Dean’s voice was insistent. “Faster.”

Cas smiled. Dean may like to be the one bossed around but he certainly knew how he liked it and he was not about to be denied. He snapped his hips forward harder, Dean gasping “ _yes!_ ” Cas did it again, and again. Clearly he had found the right angle, hitting that sweet spot, for Dean would jolt, his back rolling in that way that drove Cas wild. He could see those strong, beautiful muscles move beneath that lovely tanned skin. There was something so primal and graceful about it, and it drove Cas out of his mind.

Dean felt those graceful artist’s hands tracing over his ass, up over his back. He shivered.

“ _God_ ,” Cas’ voice was no more than a whisper. “You have the most gorgeous fucking back _ever_.”

Dean didn’t know what to say; he never did. He settled for arching his back again, listening to the sharp intake of breath which the action produced, and crying out as it resulted in Cas fucking into him even harder, deeper. “Cas!” This was all so amazing, but there was something more that he wanted. “Cas, _please_.”

“What is it, baby?”

Dean looked back over his shoulder; “I wanna see your face.”

The request seemed to surprise Cas, but in a good way. Before Dean knew what was happening he was being flipped onto his back and then Cas had driven back into him and was kissing him deeply. Oh yes, as amazing as it was before, this was even better. He reached up and cupped Cas’ face, looking deep into those beautiful blue eyes. _Much better_.

Cas couldn’t tear his gaze from Dean’s, from the pure love there. He had Dean’s legs over his shoulders, the man bent in half as he fucked him into the mattress. Dean’s cock was weeping precum; he probably wouldn’t last long. Cas took him in hand, stroking him, and Dean’s breath caught. “ _Cas_ ….” The name was no more than air.

“I love you, baby.” 

“I love you, too.” Dean was nuzzling along his throat; finding a good spot, he bit down hard. Cas cried out as he broke skin, at the feeling of Dean’s hot tongue pressing against the burning cut, and he couldn’t hold back any longer. He came, vaguely aware of Dean following mere seconds after.

He couldn’t stop nuzzling Dean’s throat, that spot Dean loved so much, delighting in the sensation of Dean’s fingers running through his hair. “Wow.”

Dean looked up at Cas. “What?”

Cas shook his head. “Nothing, just…” he smiled. “Been a while.”

Dean huffed a laugh. “Feels like it’s been forever.”

Cas laughed. “That’s cuz you’re a horny bastard who needs sex every day.”

Dean grinned at him. “Damn straight.” Cas shook his head with a smile and rolled off of Dean so they could get into their more customary positions, snuggling close together. Dean sighed happily as he laid his head upon Cas’ chest. “That was AWESOME.”

Cas chuckled, stroking Dean’s sweat-dampened hair. “Glad we agree.”

“Mm. We do.” He cocked an ear at the door, but everything remained silent. “Well, she still hasn’t woken up. Care to try for a nap?”

Cas shrugged. “Seems like a good plan.” He glanced at the bedside table. “Baby monitor’s on, so we’re all set if she DOES wake up.”

“Well, okay then. Naptime it is.” Dean leaned up to give Cas a kiss, face aglow with love and happiness. “I love you.”

Cas smiled down at his husband. “I love you, too.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have some smut. Because I love you. <3


	10. Chapter 10

“Gabe…” Dean stared at the knitted item in his hands. “Is this…..did you buy our daughter a Minion hat?”

Gabriel nodded, grinning. “Yup.” The hat was yellow and had the eyes like those of the minions in _‘Despicable Me’_ , large and round with grey goggles.

Cas joined Dean, peering over his shoulder at the hat, then looking up at his brother. “Why?”

“Because she’s going to be my minion.”

“Oh HELL no,” Dean immediately objected. "If Mary's going to be ANYONE'S minion, its mine." He noticed Cas watching him with an arched brow. "What?"

"Are you two seriously arguing whose minion our daughter would be?"

"Yes," the answer was said in unison. 

"I'd totally win, right?" Dean asked. Cas shook his head fondly at his husband.

"You are SUCH a nerd." He leaned in and gave Dean a kiss. "Yes, you would win. Our daughter would be your minion."

Gabe was mock-pouting. "You're just saying that cuz you like him better."

"Damn right I like him better." The answer was immediate and Gabe burst into started laughter.

"Hey!"

Dean looked at his husband, surprised and amused, and Cas simply grinned back at him. Smiling, Dean leaned in for a gentle kiss, murmuring "I love you."

Cas stroked his hair. "I love you, too."

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean, aren’t you ready to go YET?” 

“Almost!”

Cas tapped his foot impatiently, but Dean appeared rather quickly and he had to smile. “You know, no one would ever guess that you take so long to get ready.”

“Hey,” Dean slipped on his shoes, looking up at his husband with a grin. “Beauty like this takes time.”

Cas laughed. “You’re such an ass.”

“And you love it.” Dean looked down at Mary, tucked safely into the carrier that transformed into a carseat. “Daddy Cas loves me for all my dorkiness, doesn’t he?”

Cas rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of Dean’s shirt. “Come on, Dean. We’ve got a lot of shopping to do.”

Dean grinned, allowing himself to be tugged. “Yes, sir.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was a lovely day out and the shops were busy, so it was amazing how smoothly most of the shopping went. They were on their last stop when Cas spotted the hat. It was white and red, and looked _exactly_ like a sock monkey.

His eyes lit up immediately. “Dean! Look!” But his husband looked less than thrilled, practically recoiling. “…..Dean?”

“She HAS a hat,” Dean answered at last. “Gabe just bought her one.” 

Cas regarded him curiously. “….she can have more than one hat, Dean.” 

Dean was quiet for several moments as if fishing for words. “……yea well it’s springtime. It’s too warm out for hats. She doesn’t need another one.”

It was completely obvious that Dean was just searching for a reason not to get the hat and Cas had no idea why. He cocked his head. “…..do you have a problem with sock monkeys, Dean?” 

Dean clearly didn’t want to answer but he finally gave in. “They’re creepy as fuck!”

Cas was completely taken aback. He just stared, surprised, then burst into laughter.

“Yea, yea,” Dean said sourly. “Laugh it up.”

“I’m sorry,” Cas managed. “I just….you’re afraid of sock monkeys?”

“I’m not AFRAID of them!” Dean protested. “I just think they’re creepy!”

Cas couldn’t stop grinning. “I’m getting her the hat.”

Dean shook his head, grumbling “I hate you.”

“You do not.” Cas kissed Dean on the cheek, leading the way to the check-out. They added yet another bag to their rapidly growing collection and headed out into the sunlight.

“Is that it?”

Cas nodded. “Think so.”

“Well, then. Mr. Winchester.” That voice again, that slippery voice. Dean hadn’t heard it in months, not since before they’d known they were getting Mary, and he had hoped to never hear it again. He turned and there he was, Alastair. Dean glanced at Castiel. The man looked furious. Clearly he remembered what Dean had told him about the last time Alastair had made an appearance.

“What the fuck do YOU want.” 

Dean’s eyes widened in surprise when he heard those words, the anger in Cas’ voice. Alastair looked surprised as well, but a smile curved across his lips.

“I just spotted Dean here and wanted to say hello. Especially since I see he has a baby now.”

“WE have a baby,” Dean corrected, angry, grip on Mary’s carrier tightening. Alastair ignored him.

“I’m assuming you’re the stay at home daddy, what with your career.”

Dean felt another wave of irritation, upset that Alastair even KNEW about his career and a little bit troubled that the man clearly kept up with his personal life that way. “What do YOU care.”

"Well, if Castiel ever wants to take a day off to watch her, give you a break," Alastair had that wicked glint in his eyes as he looked at Dean, and there was a filthy promise in his words as he continued "I'd _love_ to give you a day of fun."

Dean felt his cheeks flush but there was no time to think of that for the bags were slipping through Cas’ fingers and he was on Alastair, socking him in the face and sending him sprawling to the ground.

“Cas!” Dean was frozen, at a loss for what to do. He was terrified of Cas going too far but there was still something so sexy about Cas defending him like this. Still…. _I should probably stop him_. He gently set Mary on the ground and stepped in. “Cas.” His voice was soft, hands stroking Castiel’s shoulders. It was enough, Cas pausing in his actions. “It’s okay. That’s enough.”

It really said something that so few words and such a small touch from Dean was enough to break through Cas’ fury and stop him in his tracks. Cas straightened up. His hair was a mess, face flushed; he nodded. “Yeah.” He looked a little embarrassed…..not at what he’d done but worrying that Dean was upset at him. Dean just smiled and stroked his cheek.

“Come on, baby. He’s not worth it.”

Immediately all tension vanished from Cas’ face and he smiled. “No. He’s not.” He leaned in and gave Dean a kiss. “Let’s go home.” Dean picked up Mary and Cas picked up the bags, but before they left he paused, turning to point a finger at Alastair, who was still on the ground, nose bleeding, lip split. “Don’t you EVER talk to my husband again. If you do…..I’ll kill you.” And it was clear from the look in his eyes that he meant it. With that, he turned to Dean with a smile, the blonde shaking his head at Cas’ protectiveness even as it filled him with flutters of love.

Alastair’s words had really gotten to him, as always, but seeing Cas rush in there? He had been worried for Cas, of _course_ he had been worried for Cas, but it still made him feel so good, seeing Cas defend him that way. It had washed away all the pain of seconds before and made him feel so very loved.

“I love you,” Dean murmured.

Cas glanced at him, smiling. “I love you too.” 

Dean fastened Mary’s car seat into the car, murmuring to her “Daddy Cas is scary, isn’t he.” 

Cas laughed. “Oh, shut up.”

“No.” Dean leaned in for a kiss, smiling. “My white knight in shining armor.”

Cas could feel himself blushing; he stroked Mary’s cheek. “Let’s get this one settled, then your white knight would like to make love to you.”

Dean’s eyes widened; he felt a curl of heat in his belly. “Oh. I’d like that, too.”

Cas smiled. “Then let’s get home.” He slid into the car, Dean rushing to follow.

“Right behind you.”

 

**~*~**

 

Dean stroked Mary’s back, humming softly to her. She had been remarkably good about taking her bottle and lying down to sleep. Still, he didn’t want to leave her until he was positive she was fully settled.

When she was finally sleeping, he leaned in and gave her a kiss on the head before turning away and coming face to face with Cas, who was standing in the doorway with a smile on his face. Clearly he had been watching the whole thing. Dean moved to his side and took his hand, tugging him into the hallway where they could speak without disturbing the baby.

“You spying on us?”

Cas laughed. “Little bit, yeah. You’re cute.” 

That made Dean smile. “Well as long as you think so.”

“Oh, I do.” Cas stroked Dean’s hair, his cheek. “Now, I seem to remember saying something about taking you to bed?”

“Oh, good.” Dean leaned into the touch. “Because I remember the same thing.”

“Well then.” Cas gave Dean a soft, slow kiss. “We should probably get on that.”

After that, things got very rushed, almost frantic. Clothes were tugged at, discarded as they stumbled their way blindly down the hall, kissing, unwilling to let each other go for even an instant.

They fell naked onto the bed, Cas pinning Dean. “ _God_ , I want you.”

Dean stretched his arms up over his head, putting himself fully on display. “You’ve got me.”

Cas let out a little noise of want, seizing Dean’s mouth in a hard, almost desperate kiss which Dean pressed into with just as much need.

“Cas,” he managed breathlessly in between kisses.

“Mm?” Cas nipped at Dean’s lip, coaxing a moan.

“Don’t make me wait.”

Cas shook his head. “I don’t wanna rush this.” Dean whined.

“I _want_ you.”

Cas smiled. “You’ve got me,” he teasingly echoed Dean’s words of moments before. Dean pouted at him, which never helped his cause; that pout was so Goddamned sexy.

“SUCH a brat.”

Cas stroked Dean’s cheek. “Look who’s talking.”

“Just….shut up and touch me!” Dean rolled his hips upwards, searching for friction. When he found none he gripped Castiel’s backside, fingers digging into each cheek, and pulling him downward so their cocks pressed together.

Cas let out a gasp of surprise which quickly turned into a moan. “ _Dean_ …”

“Yea, Cas.” He rocked upwards. “Like that.”

Cas nodded, unwilling to object or tease any longer. “Yeah.” He kissed Dean. “However you want.”

“Then fuck me.” Cas looked down at Dean with surprised blue eyes; Dean looked very seriously back up at him. “Fuck me.”

That was it. Cas pressed Dean into the mattress, kissing him fiercely, nipping at his lip to elicit a desperate moan. Dean’s hand fumbled for the nightstand, managing to yank the drawer open and grab the lube, shoving it at Cas. “Here.”

Cas laughed breathlessly. “A little desperate, are we.”

Dean found a handful of messy brown hair and tugged sharply. “Yes. Now shut up and get to work.”

Cas had ‘eeped’ at that tug but he laughed and took the lube, popping the cap open and coating his fingers. “Spread those legs, baby.” But Dean was way ahead of him, knees falling open to make room for Cas. For some reason it was still impossibly sexy when Dean spread his legs for Cas. Dean managed to make it both slutty and yet coy at the same time, Cas had _no_ idea how, and he _loved_ it.

He reveled in the sharp intake of breath as he pressed a slick finger into Dean’s tight entrance. “God.” He pressed a kiss to the inside of Dean’s knee. “You’re so gorgeous.”

“Don’t stop.” Dean’s arms were still stretched up above his head, fingers clutching the bedsheets. He looked impossibly sexy.

Once he was satisfied that Dean was properly prepped, Cas crawled upwards between his legs, pressing kisses as he went, all along Dean’s stomach and chest. The blonde’s breath quickened with every one, a tiny noise escaping when Cas’ lips brushed a nipple. Cas smiled down at Dean. “You ready?”

Dean’s response was to grab two handfuls of hair and yank Cas into a bruising kiss, pulling away to breathlessly whisper “fuck yea I’m ready.”

Cas laughed. “Okay, then.” He gave his cock a few quick strokes, slicking it, and slipped a hand below Dean’s knee, tugging one leg around his waist, pressing slowly into the man.

Dean’s breath let out in a long, happy sigh at the feeling of being filled, both arms wrapping around Cas’ neck. “ _Cas_.” The name was a soft happy murmur.

Suddenly there came the sound of crying. “You have _got_ to be kidding me.”

Cas’ forehead fell against Dean’s shoulder. “ _Fuck_.”

Dean wanted to throw something across the room but there was no way he was going to abandon their baby girl. “We better get in there.” 

Cas let out a groan. “I know, I know.” He shook his head. “I’ll get it.”

Dean let out a whimper as he felt Cas pull out of him. “Cas….”

“I know, baby.” Cas kissed Dean. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With that, he left the room, Dean watching him go. He could only hope that things wouldn’t take too long, and that Cas would still be raring to go when he returned.

That made him realize that he had to make sure HE was ready to go when Cas returned. He ran a hand down his chest and belly, teasing over a nipple. If he closed his eyes, he could even pretend it was Cas. Dean let his hand slip lower, breath catching as his hand brushed his cock. “ _Fuck_.”

Cas was relieved when Mary calmed down fairly quickly. She needed a diaper change and then he rocked her for a while, even a few minutes after she settled. He wanted to make certain she was truly comfortable. Once she was really and truly settled in, he left the room, heading back to Dean, hoping the man was still interested in having sex, but what he saw stopped him dead in the doorway. "Holy fuck..."

Dean was in the middle of the bed, legs spread wide, fingers pressing in and out of that pretty pink hole as he fucked himself, other hand stroking that flushed cock. " _Caaaas_..." Dean moaned, head tipping back to bare his throat, an invitation if ever Cas saw one.

Cas was on the bed before he realized he’d moved, pinning Dean and kissing him with everything he had. “ _FUCK_ , Dean.” His voice was breathless. “Holy shit. That….you….” Utterly unable to find words, he kissed Dean again, nipping at his lip. “You are the sexiest Goddamn thing I’ve seen in my entire fucking life.”

Dean’s cheeks were flushed but he smiled. “Glad to please.”

“Oh, you do.” Cas tugged Dean’s legs wider apart, fingers going to his entrance to feel it’s slickness. Dean was prepared, ready for him, so Cas pressed in in one smooth thrust. Dean’s head tipped back, a moan rumbling in his throat.

“Oh _God_ , Cas.”

Cas kissed Dean’s throat, nipping gently as he rolled his hips, and again, setting up a steady rhythm. “So good, Dean. So amazing.”

Dean’s fingers dug into Cas’ shoulders, nodding rapidly in agreement. “Yes. I….” He seemed at a loss for words. “ _Yes_.”

Cas chuckled at how incoherent Dean was, tugging those long legs up over his shoulders so he could go deeper, fucking Dean into the mattress. Dean cried out at the change in position. “Haa! _Fuck!_ FUCK, Cas, don’t stop!”

Dean’s reaction affected Cas almost as much as the physical sensations themselves; he thrust harder, reveling in the way Dean tightened around him, how those graceful hands slid down his back, nails digging in and scratching trails that made his back arch. Then Dean’s teeth found Cas’ throat and he gasped. “Dean!”

Dean’s only response was a whimper and then he was biting down hard, teeth breaking skin as he came. That bite was all Cas needed to push him over the edge, the pain and metallic scent of blood. He was nuzzling Dean’s throat, his own teeth nipping gently at that soft flesh, tempted to bite down. He was so distracted that he was completely surprised when Dean spoke.

“You gonna do it or not.”

Cas jumped, pulling back to look at Dean with surprise. “What?”

Dean stroked Cas’ cheek with a smile. “Was asking if you were gonna bite or not.” Then he leaned in, kissing Cas slow and gentle. Cas could taste the tang of blood on Dean’s lips and it was ridiculously sexy. He groaned, pressing into another deep, hungry kiss.

“That sounds like a REALLY good idea.”

Smiling, Dean tilted his chin up, baring his neck. “Then do it.”

Cas practically whimpered and he couldn’t have held back if he tried, teeth finding Dean’s throat and biting down until he tasted blood, delighting in Dean’s gasp. He gently lapped at the cut. “I love you,” he murmured.

Dean chuckled, softly stroking Cas’ thick brown hair. “I love you, too.”

There was silence as they cuddled together, happy in each other’s company, then Cas snickered. Dean looked up at him in surprise, smiling. “What. What’s so funny.”

Cas shook his head. “Nothing. Just….I never thought I’d be happy that Mary interrupted us during sex.”

Dean burst into laughter. “Yea?”

“Oh _hell_ yeah. Coming in on you like that? That was pretty much the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen.”

Dean blushed bright red. “Really?”

Cas nodded, kissing Dean. “Really.”

Dean smiled and, with one move, rolled Cas off him, curling up half atop him in their usual position. They were quiet for several long moments, Cas reveling in the feeling of Dean’s fingers teasing patterns over his chest. Then, the silence was broken as Dean spoke up, voice hesitant. “Thank you for that…..earlier today.” Puzzlement furrowed Cas’ brow. “Taking care of me the way you did. Defending me.”

“…..Dean….” Cas’ voice was filled with loving exasperation. He shook his head and softly kissed the blonde. “I will ALWAYS defend you. You’re mine and you are the most wonderful, sweetest, perfect person I know. _No one_ has the right to talk to you the way he did.”

Dean’s cheeks flushed happily; his gaze lowered. “Still….seeing you do that….it made me feel so good. It’s like everything he said got washed away in an instant.” There was a long silence and Dean was worried he’d said too much, but then Cas was kissing him.

“I love you,” the brunette managed breathlessly. “I’m so glad….so very glad I can do that for you.”

Dean nodded. “You do. Always show me how loved I am.” A smile on his face, Cas gave Dean another kiss.

“You too, you know,” Cas murmured. “Always make me feel amazing.”

Dean chuckled. “Good. You deserve it.” He kissed Cas, thumb tracing the line of his brow. “I love you.”

Cas stroked Dean’s hair, his cheek. “I love you, too. More than anything in the world.” He gave Dean another soft kiss. “Try for a nap before she wakes up again?”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “Sounds like a plan.”

Smiling, Cas tugged the quilt up over the both of them, arms wrapping around Dean. “Hopefully we won’t be interrupted this time.” Dean laughed; Cas kissed his forehead. “I love you, baby.”

Dean snuggled closer, a smile on his face. “I love you, too.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure that's Alastair's last appearance. Currently I have no plans to have him return, so unless I have a SUPER great idea, he's gone. YAY!
> 
> Sorry it's taken so long to update. :( Wasn't lying when I said reviews really do help lol. I don't think this story is as popular. C'est la vie. 
> 
> PS- Sock monkeys freak me the hell out, which is where this came from, since Misha is obsessed. I recently gave in and bought one, since I participate in GISHWHES and there's always a challenge requiring one, but it's one that "dances"....which ended up meaning it jumps forwards across the table very quickly towards you. I swear to God I lost twenty years off my life. It also has a tag on it saying "keep away from hair". All in all, very traumatizing.


	11. While You Are Sleeping

The boys had plans for that Saturday. It would be their first night out since Mary was born, and they were both incredibly nervous about it, but they wouldn’t be out for long, and Charlie would be watching her. Things would go smoothly.

Charlie showed up early and immediately seized the baby, bouncing her and tickling her, the two of them giggling together. But when she found out about their encounter with Alistair, her humor faded immediately.

“It’s so unfair!!”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh at Charlie’s outburst, but she wasn’t finished yet.

"How come _I'M_ never there when Cas gets really angry?"

Castiel blushed. "That's a good thing."

Charlie smiled at the sight of the blushing. "I AM always there for the blush."

Dean grinned. "Also a good thing. Gorgeous, isn't it?" And he kissed his husband's cheek as Cas softly murmured "Dean," cheeks flushing even more.

Charlie grinned as she watched. "Aww, you two are _adorable_."

“Shut up, Bradbury,” Dean said good-naturedly. He moved to her side, stroking Mary’s cheek, heart fluttering at the gummy smile she sent his way. He could feel Cas’ presence at his side, knew Cas was watching their daughter as well.

"And you're certain you're all set?"

Charlie rolled her eyes at the anxious tone in Cas' voice as some variation of the same question was asked for the hundredth time. "Yes, boys, I'm certain. I DO have one of my own, you know." And now her tone was reproachful and the boys had to laugh.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry. It’s just…..hard, you know?”

Charlie smiled softly, nodding. “I do. I still remember the first time we left Lauryn with you two.”

Dean laughed. “Oh believe me, I remember, too. I still can’t believe you got Bela out of the house.” With Bela’s family upbringing, it wasn’t surprised she would be so attached to her daughter, would want to give the girl everything she herself had never had.

Charlie waggled her eyebrows in a way that reminded Dean far too much of Gabriel. “I promised her a lapdance.”

Dean’s brows shot up. “You give lapdances?” Her answering grin was cheeky. “ _Damn_. Now THAT I’d like to see.” Cas smacked his shoulder and he laughed. “What? Can you imagine a Charlie lapdance?”

Cas cocked his head. “…..now that you mention it, no.”

“See? Purely scientific. Now _you_ , on the other hand….” Dean wrapped his arms around Cas’ neck. “ _You_ I’d like to see a lapdance from for many, MANY reasons.”

Dean couldn’t remember the last time he had seen Cas blush this red, bright blue gaze turning away. God. He would never get over shy Cas….never in a million years; it just happened so infrequently. “Or maybe…” He leaned in, lips brushing Cas’ ear as he whispered “….I could give _you_ one.”

Cas seemed impossibly to get redder, head snapping up to look, wide-eyed, at Dean, and he began stammering. “I..I….you…you just….” Charlie was watching the two of them with her face aglow with amusement.

Smiling, Dean gave Cas a gentle kiss. “Later,” he promised softly. Cas wasn’t entirely certain which part of the conversation Dean was referring to but it still sent a shiver down his spine. Then Charlie’s voice rent the silence of the room and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

“Okay, lovebirds. Quit getting all gooey in front of your daughter. Save it for when she’s out of sight.”

Dean laughed and gave Cas another kiss as if just to spite Charlie, then leaned in to stroke Mary’s cheek. “Daddys’ll see you later, sweetie. You be good for aunt Charlie, okay?”

“She will.” Cas stroked the soft tufts of Mary’s hair. It was beginning to grow out and definitely looked blonde. Dean was elated. “She’s a good girl.”

“Will you two stop gushing and get going?” Charlie gave them a little shove with her free hand. “This is SUPPOSED to be your night out!”

“Okay, okay!” The two let themselves be pushed, laughing, out the door. “We’ll be back in a couple hours.”

Charlie waved a hand. “Take your time. I’ve got this.”

So finally, despite their parental jitters, the two left the house and got into the Impala to drive off for a night out.

 

**~*~**

 

It wasn’t even fifteen minutes into dinner when Cas broke, unable to help but ask. “Do you think Mary’s okay?”

Dean laughed. “What.” Cas smiled at the laughter. “What’s so funny.”

“You. Us.” He leaned across the table and kissed Cas. “We are TERRIBLE at taking a night off.”

Cas grinned. “Fabulous parents, though.”

“Got that right.”

Dean smiled, shaking his head. He looked around the dim glow of the room, taking in the quiet ambience, the soft lighting and people murmuring together, and he laughed.

Cas smiled at him. “What.”

Dean shook his head and, with a gesture of one hand, took in all of Amici’s that surrounded him. “This. Us. Have we already become that old married couple who only eats at that one same restaurant?”

Cas burst into laughter. “I think we always WERE that couple.” Dean smiled.

“Too true.”

Cas grinned. “Wanna go to Klekolo afterwards?”

Dean cracked up laughing. “Sure, why not. For old time’s sake?”

Cas nodded. “Exactly.”

“Hell, why not. Haven’t been there in a while. And they make a damn good cup of tea.”

“So….” Cas’ voice was carefully nonchalant but it was TOO careful, so careful that it was obvious he was anything but. “After the movie?”

Dean knew exactly how Cas was feeling and he felt the same way. “….or we could just….not go to the movie.” He knew neither of them really wanted to see a film, to stay out so late. Both of them trusted Charlie to watch Mary but that didn’t stop them from worrying. It would set both their minds at rest to get home early.

Cas could clearly see that the two of them were on the same page and he visibly relaxed, face brightening. “Yeah?”

Dean couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sound good?”

Cas nodded. “I like that plan. So. Finish dinner, get coffee and dessert at Klekolo and then head home?”

Dean smiled. “That sounds like a perfect plan.”

 

**~*~**

 

Cas sighed happily as they pulled into the driveway. “That was _fantastic_.”

“Sure was.” Dean parked the car. “Good call on Klekolos. Who would’ve thought they’d have come up with so many awesome new things?”

“Yeah, you sure seemed to like that pie.” Cas shut the car door a bit harder than intended and winced (can’t hurt Baby) but Dean didn’t even notice. “Then again, you ALWAYS like pie.”

“Cuz pie is AWESOME.” Cas laughed. Dean let out a groan. “ _Man_ , I’m full.”

“Well you shouldn’t have gotten dessert at Amici’s and then pie at Klekolo’s.”

“Dude, dessert pierogis. Pierogis with blueberry filling. Who DOES that?”

“Amici’s, apparently.” Cas was grinning.

“Yea well it was _amazing_.” They were on the porch now. Dean pulled Cas into his arms, giving him a deep, lingering kiss. Cas could taste the fruit from the pie on his tongue and he pressed closer, wanting more of that taste, the fruit mixed with that taste that was intrinsically _Dean_.

Dean was smiling when they separated. “I had a great time tonight.”

Cas laughed. “You sound like we’re high school kids on a date.”

Dean grinned. “That was the point.” He gave Cas a soft, fleeting kiss. “Let’s go inside and see our baby girl.”

The living room was empty when they entered, the house dead quiet. “Charlie?” There was no answer. “Bradbury, where are you?” The two of them headed down the hall and there they were in the nursery, Charlie sitting in the beanbag chair with Mary held close in her arms. Charlie had a book in her hands and was reading aloud, her voice soft. “ _Tired as he was, Bilbo would have liked to stay awhile. Elvish singing is not a thing to miss, in June, under the stars_.”

Dean’s heart skipped. Charlie was reading _‘the Hobbit’_ to Mary. He knew what a huge deal that was. Charlie had told him years ago about how her mother had read that book to her as a child. Then her mother had gotten into a car accident and gone into a coma, and Charlie had read the book to her during every hospital visit, read it to her until they day they pulled the plug. To see her reading it to their daughter…..he felt his heart breaking.

Charlie noticed them, her voice faltering as she looked at the two of them, and Dean saw her eyes well up with tears. He was at her side in an instant, sinking to his knees beside her and carefully enveloping the redhead and his daughter in a hug. He could feel the emotion overwhelming Charlie, sadness and love, a tumultuous wave of feelings. Her eyes were teary when he pulled away but she smiled. “This little girl really is perfect.”

Dean could hear Cas softly laugh; he smiled at Charlie, stroking her cheek. “Was she good for you?”

“Better. Didn’t cry once, though she did fuss a bit, which was when I brought out _‘the Hobbit’_.”

Dean looked down at his daughter. She had been sound asleep in Charlie’s arms when they’d come in, no doubt lulled to sleep by the soothing tones of Charlie’s voice as she read, but all the conversation had awoken her and now she blinked up at all of them, her blue eyes somewhat cross at being disturbed, and waved her tiny fists. “She’s a good girl,” he agreed, softly stroking that barely-there blonde hair.

Cas joined them, carefully taking Mary from Charlie so that she and Dean could rise. “I got her all dressed and ready for bed but you should probably change her again before you actually put her to bed.”

“Great. Thank you so much, Charlie.”

Charlie shouldered her backpack, smiling at Cas. “I had a great time. She really was a perfect little girl. But I didn’t do it for free, you know.”

Cas’ brows shot up. This was the first he’d heard of this. “Oh?”

Charlie nodded with a smile. “Your husband better get his cute little ass in the kitchen and bake me a damn pie.”

Cas couldn’t have stopped the burst of laughter had he tried, and Dean didn’t fare much better, grinning. “You know, you could always _ask_ , Bradbury.”

“I know. But it’s so much more fun to blackmail you into it.”

Dean shook his head. “Ass.”

“You know it.” She held out her hand for the traditional fist bump and Dean responded. “Better get home to my own little girl, and my sexy-ass wife.”

“Sounds good.” They watched her head out to the car. “Let me know what kind of pie you want!” Dean hollered. She grinned at him.

“You bet I will.” With a wave she slipped into the car, her voice fading as she called “peace out, bitches!” and drove off into the night.

Dean was grinning as he watched her. He still couldn’t believe he had ever made such a good friend, and on his first day of school here in Connecticut. Charlie really was the best. Then he noticed Cas watching him with a look of inquisitive concern. “What. What is it, baby?”

“What was all that? With Charlie back there?”

“Oh.” Dean was silent for a moment. “….here. Let’s go get Mary changed, grab a bedtime story for her, and I’ll tell you all about it.”

So as Cas changed Mary’s diaper, Dean told him all about Charlie and her mother, her attachment to _‘the Hobbit’_. He could see the pain coming over Cas’ face, growing with each word.

Cas was silent when Dean finished. “I never knew,” he said at last, voice soft. Dean shook his head.

“She doesn’t really tell people.” 

At that Cas looked stricken. “Would she be upset that you told me?”

Dean didn’t even pause, immediately answering “no. I’m sure there are people she doesn’t want to know but you aren’t one of them. She just doesn’t generally tell people because she doesn’t like talking about it. But God knows I had enough shit in my past that we could kinda relate….you know….share our shitty stories and see if we could help each other through any of it.”

Cas’ heart ached. He knew just how much Dean had gone through and it still always hurt to think of it. It was good to know though that he’d had Charlie to talk things through with, and vice versa.

“Okay, good. I wouldn’t want to know if she didn’t want me to but….I’m glad I do.” Cas stroked Mary’s back soothingly. Dean smiled as he watched the two of them. “So…” He turned to Dean, cradling their daughter close to him. “Did you pick out a story?”

“Oh. No. Was too busy explaining stuff to you.” He rose and moved to the little bookshelf, thumbing through the assortment of books there. Mary already had quite a collection. She hadn’t just gotten a lot as gifts, her writer father and grandfather had both seen to it that her bookcase was well stocked.

“ _While You Are Sleeping’_?” Dean read aloud. “What the hell book is THIS?” He tugged it out and his eyes went impossibly huge and round. “HOLY. SHIT.”

“What. What is it?”

Dean rose, moving to Cas’ side and thrusting the book out to show him. “What the hell is this book and what sick demented freak gave it to our baby daughter?!”

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/81Qhp1A972L_zpseotfqeif.jpg.html)

The book was titled, as Dean had said _‘While You Are Sleeping’_ , and Cas could immediately see the problem. There was a sock monkey on the cover. He felt a wave of amusement wash over him. “…Dean….it’s just a sock monkey.”

“A freaking EVIL sock monkey! Look at its weird, dead eyes!”

“Dean—“

“And the other two animals, too! The three of them are just crawling all over this sleeping child like carrion!”

Cas burst into laughter but, taking a look at the cover, he had to admit that Dean DID have a point on that one. “Let’s just read it.”

The expression on Dean’s face stated he thought this was a TERRIBLE idea but he sat down and opened the book. Cas sat beside him, close enough so that Mary could see the pictures, though she wouldn’t really register them and would probably be asleep in the first ten seconds, anyway.

“ _We are the bedside toys_ ,” Dean read. “ _Do you ever stop to think what we go through, night after night, to look after you?_ Oh great,” he muttered under his breath, “the book is guilt tripping us already.”

Cas nudged Dean’s shoulder with his own. “Just shut up and read.”

Dean heaved a sigh but continued. “ _All day we sit still as stone waiting….waiting….waiting…but when the sun goes down and we’re absolutely SURE you’re sleeping…._ ” And here he broke off again, finger stabbing at the page as he exclaimed “THE TOYS ARE FREAKING LURKING BEHIND THIS CHILD, CREEPING ON HER!” Cas burst into laughter, startling Mary. He couldn’t deny that it was a creepy book. “No.” Dean shook his head at the laughter. “ _No_. This book is _fucked up_. Who _gave_ this to us?” 

“I think it was Garth.” Cas stroked Mary’s hair, soothing her after giving her such a startle a moment before.

Dean flipped to the front of the book and yup, there was an inscription from Garth, some sweet words for Mary to read when she grew up. “ _Jesus_ , Garth….what the hell.”

Cas nodded at the book. “Keep reading.”

Dean looked at Cas with pleading eyes. “Do I have to?”

It took everything Cas had to hold back his laughter, biting his lip so hard he thought it’d split. “Yes.”

With a shudder, Dean opened the book and continued, looking increasingly disturbed with each page. Especially when he reached the part when the animals made a trek under the bed and their eyes glowed in the darkness. A sock monkey on a normal basis was bad enough; a sock monkey with glowing eyes? “Oh _HELL_ no!”

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/sock%20monkey_zpsbpd7hwae.jpg.html)

Cas couldn’t stop the laughter that time, cradling Mary close to calm her down as he startled her awake a second time. “Just turn the page!”

Dean did so, flipping the pages so fast he got a papercut. “Ow! Goddammit!” 

Cas felt a little wave of guilt over having pushed Dean to that result. He took Dean’s hand in his and kissed it gently. “I’ll take care of that for you when we’re done.”

Dean struggled to suppress the smile that Cas’ actions elicited, faking a pout instead. “Better take care of a lot more than that,” he grumbled.

Cas laughed. “Oh, I think that might be arranged.” He kissed Dean’s hand again and released it. “Now finish up.”

Of course, Dean couldn’t do as he was told without some grumbling, especially not with a book such as this. “ _AND ON THE NIGHT YOU’RE NOT SUPPOSED TO WAKE UP WE MAKE SURE YOU DON’T????_ ” He read the words incredulously.

“They’re keeping her asleep so she doesn’t wake up and see Santa!” Cas pointed out, struggling to hide his amusement at Dean’s horror.

“Bullshit! Read those words and then look at them crawling on her that way and then you try to tell me these toys AREN’T trying to kill her!”

Cas just shook his head with a grin. “Dean, might I remind you you’re bleeding, AND running out of time to take me up on whatever ‘more’ you’re looking for me to take care of for you?”

Dean’s eyes went comically large. “There’s a TIME LIMIT on that???”

“And it’s running out. So hurry up.”

Dean resumed reading so fast that his tongue couldn’t keep up with him; he was tripping over his words. But it got the job done, and he was finished in barely more than a minute, shutting the book with a satisfied ‘thump’ and tossing it aside. Cas was pretty sure he could hear Dean mutter “good riddance.”

“What was that?”

“I said good riddance.” Dean rose, offering a hand to Cas and gently helping him up. “That book was fucking creepy.” He watched as Cas tucked Mary into bed (amazingly the baby was still sleeping), muttering “don’t know what the hell Garth was thinking.”

Cas just shook his head, grinning. “I don’t know.” He took Dean’s hand. “But how about we go get you cleaned up…..and then you can show me exactly what it is you want me to do for you.”

Something dark and feral moved behind Dean’s eyes; his voice was soft as he answered. “I can think of oh so many things.”

Cas laughed. “I bet you can.” He raised Dean’s hand to his lips, licking the one tiny drop of blood from the papercut, delighting in Dean’s hiss of pleasured pain. “Well, then….” He smiled up at Dean, those eyes full of surprise and need. “….I guess we’d better get started.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I work at a library and I found that book while checking items in and it is fucking TERRIFYING. So yes, those are legit pictures and quotes.
> 
> And blueberry dessert pierogis are also real. I've begun taking swing dancing lessons and they're at the Polish Home, which has a restaurant/bar, where I discovered those delicious wonders.
> 
> I'm sorry I don't post anywhere NEAR as often as I did with 'Every Color in the World'. Partially this one just doesn't flow as easily and partially I don't hear from many people anymore. Sadness!
> 
> Anyway, I'll try to get the next bit up soon. Love you all! <3


	12. For Your Entertainment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm still looking for drabble requests for the other Destiel piece, 'A Place for You and Me'. If there's anything you want to see, let me know!

Dean looked up at the large front doors of the church, the people streaming through, then glanced to his husband beside him, their daughter in his arms. Cas’ expression was unreadable. “….you sure you want to do this?”

Cas twitched as if Dean’s words had stirred him from his thoughts and he looked to Dean, smiling, and gave a nod. “I’m sure. I’m just a bit nervous.”

Dean huffed a laugh. “I know the feeling.”

Mary Winchester had been very religious, and had planned to raise her sons in the church. Unfortunately she was gone far too soon, her sons left alone with John Winchester, who didn’t care much about church to begin with and who immediately lost all faith in a God who would take his wife from him so soon. But Dean never forgot the feeling of sitting in church with his mother, the joy on her face when she sang along to the hymns, and he knew in his heart that he wanted to raise Mary in the church. 

He had been afraid that Cas wouldn’t agree or worse, would be full-out bothered by the notion, but it was completely the opposite. It turned out that Chuck Novak was spiritual if not religious. He believed in God but didn’t practice, and he raised his children the same way. Cas had only ever attended church on holidays and not always then but he did believe, and he was fully supportive of raising Mary in the religious life.

So here they were, a month into Mary’s life, standing outside a church. Mary was dressed in the tiniest, most adorable dress ever (a gift from Bela) and was resting peacefully. Dean prayed she’d remain that way throughout mass. He thought she would. She was generally an extremely well behaved baby.

So he ran his fingers through Cas’ messy hair and tousled it, messing it even more, grinning at Cas’ laughing protest of “hey!”. “Come on, baby. Let’s get in there.”

 

**~*~**

 

Mass had been an adventure. Dean hadn’t been since he was a little kid and Cas…..Cas couldn’t remember the last time. Dean struggled to get the feel for all the words and recitations and Cas had to try and learn it all for what was really the first time. Dean was flushing, embarrassed to be one of the only people there not knowing what to do, his lack of knowledge marking him as a non-church goer, but then he saw Cas. Cas, who was fumbling even more than him. Then Cas looked his way, their eyes meeting, such a helpless look on his face, and Dean couldn’t help it; he let out a guffaw of laughter. Cas looked completely taken aback but he couldn’t bite back laughter of his own and the two spent the rest of mass desperately trying to hold back snickers and giggles.

When mass ended, Dean waited for someone to say something, to kindly request they not return, but he was amazed to actually have several people come up to them and say hello, welcome them to the church. It was even more shocking since it was clear these people could tell Dean and Cas were together, a couple. Even being gay they were welcome here. It was a wonderful feeling. This was the church they had been married in but that didn’t mean all of the parishioners would be welcoming, and probably not all of them would be, but so far the ones they had spoken to were friendly.

Despite the warm reception at church, it was nice to be back home. A cool breeze ruffled the curtains. It was the first week of May and it was finally nice enough to let in the fresh air. Cas was in the living room, gently bouncing baby Mary in his arms as he hummed softly to her, watching his husband cooking away in the kitchen.

The boys used to have the family over for dinner every Sunday, but since Mary was born they had been too busy and caught up in other things. They had even missed Easter, a fact which had given Dean a pang of regret. He loved cooking big meals, and it never got old harassing Gabriel to eat the orange salad (a recipe of his grandmother’s….one that everyone else loved but which Gabriel staunchly refused to try every single year). They also always had an Easter egg hunt for little Lauryn. There had been no time for all that but the Bradburys had brought the girl over to decorate eggs with Cas. It was something, anyway.

Still, Dean was glad to be back in the kitchen. Bobby was busy today, but Jo would be coming with Garth, and Ellen and Sam should be there. It would be great to get everyone around the table. Well….almost everyone.

There was the sound of a car outside and Cas peeked out the window. “Garth and Jo are here.”

“Oh, good.” Dean set aside the dishtowel he’d been wiping the counter with. “I wanna have a few words with him about that book.”

Cas looked at Dean in surprise and couldn’t help but laugh at the stubborn set of Dean’s brow. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Am not.”

The door opened; Jo never did wait to be invited in. “Where’s my niece?” She immediately zeroed in on Mary, heading to Cas’ side. “Hey there, sugarplum.” She tickled beneath Mary’s chin and got a happy gurgle in return.

“Oi. You.” Garth turned his attention to Dean, brows raised inquisitively. “Yea, you. I wanna talk to you.”

Now Garth just looked confused. “Um, okay…?”

“What’s with that book you bought our daughter?”

“Book?”

“Yea. That creepy sock monkey book.”

The confusion only grew. “…sock monkey…?”

Dean turned on his heel and headed to the nursery, quickly returning with the book. “Here.” He thrust it Garth’s way. “This. What _is_ this?”

Garth accepted the book, looking it over, first the cover and then flipping slowly through the pages. “I don’t understand.” His voice was well and truly lost as he looked up at Dean.

“Are you serious??”

Cas shook his head, amused. “Dean…”

“Seriously. What’s the problem.” Jo moved to Garth’s side and pulled the book from his hands, but she stopped dead when she saw the cover. “Oh my God, Garth, what the fuck??”

“What?” Garth was totally bewildered. “It’s about how your toys watch over you at night. Like _Toy Story_.”

“Yeah, CREEPY _Toy Story_.” Jo opened the book, jaw dropping when she saw the drawings. "OH MY GOD! Garth..." She looked at her boyfriend. "How could you not tell this book was evil?" Garth just shrugged helplessly. Jo shook her head at him. "You're not shopping alone when you buy stuff for OUR kids."

"Oh?" He was smiling now. "Are we having kids?"

"Mm.." Jo sank into Garth’s lap and wrapped her arms around his neck, book still in hand. "Someday."

"Damn straight 'someday'," Dean's voice cut in, shocking Jo and Garth out of the little world they'd been in. "You keep your mind on school. And YOU." He pointed a finger at Garth, who swallowed audibly. "...put a ring on it first."

Cas laughed. “Okay, okay, let’s all settle down.” From outside came the audible sound of a car door shutting. “There’s your majka and brother. Looks like it’s time to eat.”

Dean checked the oven to see how the chicken was coming along. “In about ten more minutes, yup.”

He could feel Cas come up behind him, those lips brushing the back of his neck in a gentle kiss. “I love you,” Cas murmured.

Dean smiled at that voice, that deep rough voice that had caught his attention at the tag sale all those years ago. It still affected him like nothing else ever had. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

Cas pushed Mary’s stroller down the street, loving the brilliant sunlight and cool breeze. He had taken Mary to her child’s playgroup (Mr. Barnaby’s Baby Babble). Dean liked to come with but lately he had been taking the time out to write. Cas was both happy and sad. He missed having Dean there at class but he was glad Dean was writing again….it had been too long.

There was Dean now. Cas felt a wave of surprise hit him when he saw his husband walking down an intersecting side road towards him, and there was a woman with him, one Cas had never seen before. They were laughing, and Cas felt an inexplicable wave of jealousy sweep over him. He knew it was ridiculous; Dean would never cheat on him. But he was still fiercely possessive of his husband. Not only that, he knew how attractive Dean was; _God_ , did he know it. He saw both women and men looking at Dean all the time. So even though he knew Dean would never stray, people still looked, and he was not okay with that. At all.

Dean’s face lit up when he saw Cas and that somewhat soothed those ruffled feelings. “Hey, baby.” Dean leaned in and gave Cas a kiss. Cas couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey, there.” He looked pointedly at the blonde by Dean’s side and a look of understanding swept over Dean’s face.

“Oh. Cas, this is Heather.”

She smiled. “Hello.” The look on her face was 100% friendly, nothing in it saying she was at all interested in his husband, and Cas relaxed somewhat. 

“Hello.” He glanced at Dean questioningly and as always, Dean could read his face, know what he wanted without him saying a word.

“I hit another wall with my writing, went for a walk. Met Heather at the grocery store while I was buying a drink.” He waved a mostly empty water bottle in the air.

Cas looked back and forth between them. “You mean you met just now for the first time?” Dean nodded and Cas frowned. “Hit it off that well, did you.”

Dean could clearly tell what Cas was thinking and he sighed, a smile on his face; he stepped forward and linked his arm with Cas’. “We’ve got to get going, Heather. It was nice to meet you.”

“You too. You too, Cas.”

Dean led Cas off in the direction of their house, Mary pounding her tiny hands against her stroller. When they were several feet away he gave Cas a poke. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I am not!” Cas protested.

“Are too. What’re you doing, getting jealous.”

Cas glowered, because he couldn’t deny that it was true. “I hate seeing you with pretty girls.”

Dean chuckled. “I’m not interested in any of them and you know it.”

“Doesn’t matter.” He elbowed Dean. “Besides, it’s not like you’re not the same way.”

“You’re worse.”

“That’s debatable.” He allowed Dean to hold the front door open for him and pushed past him. 

“Totally is not.” Dean caught hold of Cas’ arm and tugged him away from where he was about to undo the catches on the stroller, pulling Cas into his arms. “I only love you and you know that. Love you more than anything.”

Cas smiled despite himself. “Yeah….I know that.”

Dean stroked Cas’ hair, relishing in the soft touch, and gave him a gentle kiss. “You’re wonderful.”

Cas opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by Mary letting out a sharp objection to her parents' actions. He laughed, moving to her stroller. “Okay, baby. Let’s get you to bed.” He lifted her, cradling her close, and looked to his husband with a smile. “And then I’m going to apologize to your other daddy for getting so jealous.”

Dean’s brows shot up. “Apologize, huh.”

“Oh yes. In my own, special way.”

A smile slowly spread over Dean’s face. “Well, then…..” he gave Cas a soft kiss, murmuring “to the nursery.”

 

**~*~**

 

Cas scrubbed at the casserole dish, face set in a frown. Dean had missed Mary’s baby class these past two weeks. This in itself wouldn’t be cause for alarm, but Cas had seen Heather twice more. He knew Dean wasn’t cheating on him but it still bothered him. He had to calm down, he knew that. If Dean wanted a new friend, he could have a new friend; Cas would have to adjust. She was just so pretty, always smiling, and Cas couldn’t help the jealousy tugging at his gut every time he saw her.

He slammed the casserole dish into the dish drainer and shut off the water, his hackles raised now. He had to calm down and he knew it. He gripped the edge of the sink with both hands and took a deep breath. It helped somewhat. Enough so that the sudden touch of two hands covering his eyes nearly made him jump out of his skin.

There was a throaty chuckle. “Jumpy, are we?”

“Dean!”

“Yahtzee.” And that word, Dean’s bizarre, quirky word for confirmation, for ‘yes’, made Cas’ anger vanish.

“You’re so weird.”

“Another yahtzee right there.” His lips brushed Cas’ cheek in a gentle kiss. Cas reached up, trying to pull Dean’s hands from his eyes but to no avail.

“Dean! What’re you doing?”

“You’ll see. Now walk.” And he gave Cas a gentle nudge, carefully guiding him down the hall, Cas would guess towards their room. Sure enough, he found himself being shoved into a chair, Dean’s lips brushing his forehead as he softly whispered “keep your eyes shut.” Then, just like that, the hands were gone.

Cas was tempted to open his eyes but he was far too curious. Whatever Dean was cooking up it had to be good for him to go to all this trouble. So he waited obediently, eyes still shut. Suddenly music started up, loud and strong, the bass pumping, and Dean pressed a kiss to his cheek, whispering “open your eyes.” So Cas did, and his heart skipped a beat at what he saw.

For there was Dean, wearing the emerald corset and panties that they had bought years ago, but that wasn’t all; no. He was also wearing a garter belt and some sheer black thigh highs, as well as a pair of black heels. _Holy shit. Holy SHIT._

Cas just stared, eyes huge, jaw agape. This was more than he could ever have imagined in his wildest dreams. Dean was beautiful, positively gorgeous. And now he was dancing. Not just dancing…..this was an honest to God striptease.

 

_I’ma hold you down until you’re amazed._  
_Give it to you ‘til you’re screaming my name._

 

Dean was moving so fluidly, hands rubbing over his body, teasing. Cas had no idea how he was dancing in those heels. They had to be at _least_ two inches. They made his legs look so damn long. And those stockings! When Dean spun, Cas saw that they had a seam up the back, like old-fashioned ones. _God_ , it was sexy.

 

_I bet you thought that I was soft and sweet._  
_You thought an angel swept you off your feet._  
_Well I’m about to turn up the heat._  
_I’m here for your entertainment._

 

Facing away now, Dean dropped forward and slowly, teasingly brushed his ass up against Cas’ groin. It was delicious friction but it wasn’t _nearly_ enough. Then he was spinning, was up against Cas, pressing their bodies together, those long legs straddling Cas’ waist as he rolled their hips together. When the song ended he was in Cas’ lap, pressed close; their foreheads were together, lips practically touching. It wasn’t “practically” for long; seconds later Cas had a fistful of Dean’s hair and was crushing their mouths together.

“FUCK,” he managed when they pulled apart. “Holy fucking Goddamn hell.”

Dean laughed breathlessly. “I take it you liked it, then.”

“ _Jesus_ , Dean. That….” Cas searched for words. Dean stroked Cas’ hair, brushing it behind his ear.

“That’s why I’ve been seeing Heather.”

Cas felt surprise hit him. “I….what?” He didn’t understand.

“She’s a dance instructor and she teaches striptease. I wanted to learn to do this for you.”

It took a moment for those words to fully sink in but once they did, Cas was yanking Dean into another fierce kiss. The fact that Dean did that for _him?_ Went to the trouble of going to lessons to learn a dance just for _him?_ Not to mention buying the outfit. “You’re _amazing_ ,” he said.

Dean huffed a laugh. “I’m glad you think so.”

“I _know_ so.” Cas ran his hands over Dean’s thighs, loving the smooth feeling of the stockings. “I love these.”

“Good.” Dean shifted in Cas’ lap, rocking closer. “Bought them just for you.”

“Mm.” Cas let his fingers trail teasingly over that silky fabric. “I’m going to enjoy taking them off you later.”

Dean let out a noise that could only be described as a whimper. “Oh HELL yes.”

It was a better reaction than Cas had hoped for and he gave Dean a soft kiss. “But not yet.” That got another tiny whimper and Cas bit his lip to stifle a laugh. “Now….” He let his hand run down Dean’s back, cupping his ass and giving it a squeeze. “Now I’m going to fuck you.”

Dean’s hands clenched in Cas’ hair, tugging hard enough to hurt. “ _Yes_.” His voice was breathless and they hadn’t even kissed; he was breathless just from listening to Cas’ words. That was _incredibly_ hot, and it sent a shiver down Cas’ spine. In an instant he was crushing their mouths together in a bruising kiss, both hands beneath Dean now as he rose to his feet, taking the other man with him. Dean’s legs automatically wrapped around his waist and in the mirror over the dresser Cas could see how gorgeous they looked in those stockings, those heels, how long and slender. He couldn’t handle it. Without another second’s hesitation Cas gave Dean a little toss onto the bed, watching him land with a tiny bounce, those long legs splayed. His cock was straining against those too small panties; Cas couldn’t bite back a whimper at the sight.

Dean pushed himself up onto his elbows. “Well? What’re you waiting for?” He looked up at Cas from beneath lowered lashes. “Get down here and fuck me.”

Cas didn’t need a second invitation. He reached for those satin panties and Dean lifted his hips willingly to help him pull them off, toss them aside. Then Dean found himself being pressed hard into the mattress and kissed within an inch of his life as Cas fumbled with the bedside table, trying to get a hand on the lube. Clearly years of practice had made him better at this kind of blind fumbling for within seconds he was pressing two slick fingers into Dean, no preamble.

Dean gasped at the sudden stretch and Cas immediately stopped, worried he had gone too far too soon. “You okay?”

Dean tugged Cas into a kiss, nodding. “Good.” When Cas didn’t immediately continue Dean rolled his hips backwards, seeking more. “Keep going.”

Cas looked down at that face, beautifully flushed and wonderfully needy, and there was no way he could object. He stretched Dean gently but quickly, loving the way Dean’s hands clenched in his shoulders at that feeling, fingers digging in hard enough to hurt. “Dean…” he murmured, laying kisses along his throat.

In response, Dean tugged at his hair. “Hurry up, Cas.”

Cas couldn’t help but chuckle, the noise muffled against Dean’s throat. “Going as fast as I can, baby.”

“Are not.” Dean’s hips rolled upwards. “Want you in me. Now.” His tone was bossy and it sent a shiver down Cas’ spine. He nuzzled Dean’s throat, pressing in a third finger. 

“Not ready.”

“Fuck that.”

This time Dean’s words startled a full laugh out of Cas. “Patience, baby. Patience.” 

Dean growled his irritation. “Patience is not one of my virtues.”

“Believe me, I know.” Whatever Dean was about to say in reply was cut off as Cas pressed hard on his prostate, wringing out a sharp cry and another tug on Cas’ messy hair.

“Fuck! _Fuck_ , Cas, okay that’s enough, stop. Now. Fuck me now.”

Cas would have liked to protest, to prepare Dean further, but he could see from the look in Dean’s eyes, the wild desperation, that in a minute he was going to shove Cas on his back and ride him, completely go to town. And while the idea WAS damn appealing, tonight Cas wanted Dean spread out beneath him in all his finery. So he withdrew his fingers, unable to help teasing that sweet spot as he went, but all that got him was two hands in his hair and then he was being yanked up into a hard kiss.

“Mmph!” he managed unintelligibly, hands scrambling on the bedsheets for purchase. Dean finally released him, those green eyes mere inches from his and dead serious.

“Fuck me.” It wasn’t a request this time, it was an order, and heat rushed to every corner of Cas’ body. He fumbled for the lube, spilling out more than was necessary but it didn’t matter, nothing mattered but Dean there beneath him. Then he pressed into that tight heat and Dean’s head tipped back as he moaned, as if it was the most amazing feeling in the world.

“ _Fuck_.” Cas whispered the word as he looked down at Dean, those eyes closed, long lashes fanned across pale skin. For the moment he had eased his grip on Cas, too overcome with feeling to do anything but lie there and take everything Cas had to give him. _God_ , it was sexy.

Cas stroked Dean’s cheek and those big green eyes opened, blinking as they focused on Cas. “You’re beautiful,” Cas whispered. Those cheeks flushed even more at the words and Dean’s hands found Cas’ messy hair again, tugging him down.

“Shut up.” He kissed Cas, much more gently than before, and smiled up at him. “And fuck me.”

Cas couldn’t help but chuckle, giving Dean another kiss as he murmured “with pleasure.” With that he gave a roll of his hips, delighting in the feeling of Dean’s arms sliding around his neck, fingers gripping his shoulders. He slipped a hand beneath Dean’s knee and tugged a leg up around his waist, loving the feeling of those silky stockings. Dean wrapped his other leg around Cas’ waist as well, crossing both legs at the ankle, and oh fuck, Cas could feel those high heels digging into his skin. It should have been nothing but painful but there was something unbelievably sexy about it, being able to feel proof of what Dean was wearing. For him. Dean was wearing those shoes _for him_. The thought elicited a whimper and his hips snapped forward harder. 

Dean gasped, his grip on Cas tightening. “FUCK, Cas!” His hands ran down Cas’ back, fingernails raking over that smooth skin, and cupped his ass, pulling Cas harder to him as though he could pull him deeper. “Harder,” he managed. “Fuck me harder.”

There was no way on earth Cas was going to deny that request. He knew Dean didn’t mind a little manhandling so he didn’t hold back, pushing one leg up higher. Dean immediately caught on, letting Cas push both his legs up over his shoulders. He was bent in half now, Cas fucking into him harder, deeper. He still gripped Cas’ backside, holding his husband to him as though his life depended on it, wanting every last bit he could get. This, all of this, was too much. He blinked up at Cas, eyes hazy, and reached up with one shaking hand to cup his cheek. “Cas….”

Cas could feel it too: the heat building up inside; he leaned into Dean’s palm, pressing in for a deep kiss. “Yes, Dean.” His hand slipped between them, trailing over that smooth corset on the way down before wrapping around Dean’s cock. “Come for me, baby.”

Dean’s eyes squeezed tightly shut at the first stroke of his cock; he gripped Cas’ shoulders. Cas stroked a fingertip down his cheek, whispering “open your eyes.” Those green eyes flew open, locking with Cas’ blue ones, and then he was coming.

God, he was beautiful. He was so beautiful. Watching Dean try to catch his breath, his face flushed, while that warm body still pulsed hot and tight around him…..it finished Cas off in no time. He returned to himself to discover he was pressing kisses over every inch of Dean that he could reach. “…..oh.”

Dean giggled, honest to God giggled. He usually only did that when he was drunk or deliriously happy. Maybe he was deliriously happy. The thought warmed Cas. “Dork.”

Cas gave him a little shove. “I am not.” He sat back on his heels. “We should get you out of all of this.” He ran his hands over one of the shoes. Dean nodded.

“Sounds like a good plan.”

Cas carefully unbuckled the strap on one of the shoes and gently slid it off Dean’s foot, pausing to kiss the spot the strap had previously covered. He did the same with the other shoe, dropping another kiss on Dean’s foot, then holding the shoe up to admire it. “How high are the heels on these things?”

Dean was propped up on his elbows on the pillows, watching Cas’ actions. “Three inches.”

Cas’ jaw dropped. “Three inches?” he echoed. “How the hell did you dance in these?”

Dean grinned. “Lots and lots of careful practice.”

Cas shook his head. “I would think so.” He set both shoes on the floor by the bed and then unclipped the stockings from the garterbelt. “I like this thing.”

“I was hoping you would.”

“I do.” Very carefully, Cas rolled down one sheer stocking, kissing each inch of flesh that was revealed, repeating the move with the other stocking. Dean attempted to bite back a giggle as Cas nuzzled along his instep.

“That tickles.”

Cas looked up at him, grinning. “I know.” He straightened up. “I’m gonna go get a wet washcloth to clean us up. You get the corset off.” With that he left the room, returning quickly with the cloth, as promised. He knelt between Dean’s legs, gently and methodically cleaning Dean up, then wiping up the front of the corset where some cum had spattered. Finally, he set everything aside. “You ready for bed?”

Dean nodded with a smile. “Sounds good.” He reached for the light, flipping it off as Cas crawled into bed beside him, the two of them snuggling up together. 

Cas stroked Dean’s hair. “That…..that was _amazing_ , Dean.”

Dean smiled, his head tucked beneath Cas’ chin. “I’m glad you liked it.”

“I did. Loved it.” They were silent for several long moments, simply snuggled up together as Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s short blonde hair. “I did, you know.” Dean looked up at him inquisitively. “That line in the song. _‘Bet you thought I was awfully sweet’_. The first time I saw you, I _did_ think that.”

Dean stared at Cas in surprise, too shocked to say a thing, and then burst out laughing. “Are you serious? You can’t be. You can’t be serious.”

Cas shook his head with a smile. "Believe it or not, I am. I was watching you that day at the tag sale. First with your brother and then, just shopping. The way you spoke to him, took care of him, and then the look on your face as you poured over all the items….you just looked so happy. You really did seem sweet, but there was something there...." Cas shook his head. "I had to push. I wanted to know more....to know YOU. So I teased you. I teased you and you slammed it right back at me." He was smiling now. "I was absolutely smitten."

"Seriously?" Dean felt one of those little love flutters, despite his surprise. Cas nodded.

"You clearly _were_ a sweet guy...I could see that from watching you with Sam...but then when I harassed you, you didn't take any crap. You had attitude. And I _loved_ it.”

Dean could feel himself blushing, cheeks burning, but he couldn’t stop smiling. “Well. I’m glad I caught your attention.”

“Oh, you have NO idea.” Cas smiled at the happy laughter his answer elicited, running his fingers up and down Dean’s side, tracing the soft, bare skin. Dean’s arms tightened around Cas and he snuggled closer, nuzzling up beneath Cas’ chin again. Cas kissed the top of his head, loving the feeling of that spiky hedgehog hair tickling his chin as he did so.

“So,” Dean’s voice rent the silence, “maybe I’ll take Bela to meet Heather.”

“Oh?” Cas asked absently, the words not really registering.

“Mm. Think Charlie would enjoy a surprise gift?”

Dean’s meaning sank in and Cas burst into laughter. “If it’s anything like the one I just got then hell yes.”

There was a smile in Dean’s voice as he continued, “well, I’m glad it was such a success.” He was clearly beyond pleased. Cas stroked his cheek.

“It was amazing, Dean. Thank you.”

Dean shook his head. “Don’t have to thank me. I wanted to give you this.”

“Which is exactly why I have to thank you. You always do things like this for me just because you want to. That’s amazing.”

Dean’s cheeks were flushed. “I just love you.”

Cas smiled. “I know. And I love you, too. More than anything.” He gave Dean a gentle kiss. “Sleep, baby.”

Dean gave him a poke. “You, too.”

With a laugh, Cas lay back and pulled Dean into his arms. Within minutes, they were both in a sound sleep.

 

**~*~**

 

“Ow.”

Cas looked up at Dean. “What’s wrong?”

Dean shook his head. “Nothing. My feet are just a little sore.”

Realization hit Cas. “The high heels?” Dean nodded. Cas gestured. “C’mere.” That earned him a questioning look so he gestured again. “Don’t look at me that way. C’mere.”

Obediently, Dean moved to Cas’ side, sitting in the chair the brunette had placed in front of him. “Cas, what’re you—“ but the words died in a low moan as Cas took one of Dean’s feet into his lap and began to gently massage it. “ _Damn_ ,” he whispered.

Cas smiled. “Good?”

Dean nodded, eyes closed in bliss. “Damn good.” He sighed happily. “This is gonna earn you another lapdance.”

Cas burst into laughter. “That’ll just hurt your feet all over again. This’ll become a vicious cycle.”

“Mm.” Dean smiled. “But an enjoyable one.”

Cas chuckled. “Got that right.”

And sitting there, massaging his husband’s feet the morning after a lapdance, their baby girl in her playpen in the next room playing with a model Impala, Cas realized (definitely not for the first time), just what an unusual life they had. He wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Dean danced to Adam Lambert. That song is awesome.
> 
> And I wanted to present a good view of Catholicism. I myself am Catholic and bi, and hate that the only Catholics that seem to get media attention are the shitty ones. Except our pope. Who is amazing. Seriously, I went to Catholic school and there were no cliques, no bullying....if you didn't get along with someone you just stayed away from each other. One of the greatest experiences of my life. Helped me recover from the trauma of my public middle school.
> 
> Heather is based in name and appearance on a childhood friend who I took ballet with. I only took 1 year, she continued on and became very VERY good. We sort of grew apart when we went to separate schools but she was super cool.


	13. Chapter 13

The phone rang, startling both the men. Cas looked up from where he was lying on his stomach, playing on the floor with Mary. “You got that?”

Dean nodded, heading to the phone. “Hello?”

“Dean?”

Immediately his heart jumped. “Claire?”

Cas’ face lit up at the sound of that name. They hadn’t heard from Claire since Mary had been born.

“How’ve you guys been?”

“Oh, we’re great. Mary’s doing good.”

“She talking yet?”

Dean burst into laughter. “Oh, yea. We’ve got a prodigy on our hands. Full sentences. Speaks Japanese, too.”

“Wow. That IS talented.”

Cas obviously wasn’t getting both sides of the conversation but he was getting enough to understand the basic gist of it and he was smiling, shaking his head in amusement.

“So….can I come see you guys?”

“Oh my God of course you can! We’ve been waiting for you to come over!” He paused, biting his lip. “Some of our friends want to meet you. Would you be willing?”

There was silence on the other end of the phone and Dean was worried he had crossed a line. But then Claire spoke up, her voice hesitant. “I….as long as there aren’t too many there.”

Dean felt a flutter of excitement but he was still concerned. “You sure? I mean don’t feel obligated.” 

“No, no it’s okay. That’d…..that’d be nice.” And though Claire still sounded nervous the words were sincere, and Dean felt his concerns fade away.

“Okay. So long as you’re sure.”

Claire laughed. “Dean, I’m sure.”

“Okay, okay. So….come over around four, then? We can all hang out for a bit before everyone else gets here.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Great. We’ll see you then.” And the phone hung up with a gentle click.

Cas was looking up at Dean with a huge smile on his face. “She’s coming over?” Dean nodded, smiling back at him.

“And she wants to meet everyone.”

“That’s great!” 

“Yea.” Dean smiled. Claire could meet Charlie and Bela, Benny and Jo and Garth. Even Ash. He frowned. Was that too many? Maybe that was too many. Well, all their friends were understanding. They would leave if they had to, if Claire was uncomfortable.

“So.” Cas’ words startled Dean out of his thoughts. “Our child speaks Japanese now?”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “Yup. Claire asked if she was talking yet so I gave her a bit more than she bargained for.”

Cas cocked his head to one side in that way Dean loved, eyes squinting. “Don’t they not start speaking till around…six months?”

Dean nodded. “Think so. Though the babbling starts earlier. Four months, something like that.”

The smile on Cas’ face was a beautiful thing. “So we may start hearing ‘dada’ not too long from now?”

Dean couldn’t help the smile that spread across his own face, so big that his cheeks hurt. “ _God_ , I hope so.”

Mary gurgled and both men looked down at her. She was smiling, banging her tiny fists on the floor. They laughed, and Dean bent down and scooped her up. “What do you want, baby girl? You gonna see aunt Claire?” Her only response was another smile as he tickled her under the chin. Cas was beaming as he looked up at his husband and daughter; Dean smiled down at him. “What. What is it.”

“Aunt Claire.” Cas rose, moving to join them. “I like the sound of that.”

Dean smiled. “Me too.” It would be nice to have her back with them, a part of the family again. Mary would have another aunt, another loving family member, and things would get that much better.

He jumped at the touch of Cas’ hand on his shoulder, turning to see that lovely smile on Cas’ face. “You happy?”

Dean nodded. “Very.” And at that moment, he couldn’t think of a truer word spoken.

 

**~*~**

 

Claire had barely finished knocking before Cas was wrenching the door open and pulled her into a tight hug. She laughed in surprise. “Well, hello.”

“We missed you.” His voice was muffled in her messy blonde hair.

“I missed you guys, too.” She pulled back to smile at Cas, then Dean, and her glance flicked down to where Mary was blinking sleepily in his arms. “How…” her voice was hesitant. “How’s she doing?”

Dean smiled. “She’s good. Told her that aunt Claire was coming today.” At those words, the name ‘aunt Claire’, the tiny blonde’s face had lit up. Clearly they really weren’t going to have any trouble working this out. Claire had no suppressed motherly longings; she only wanted to be in Mary’s life as a friend or, as it turned out, an aunt. And Dean and Cas wanted exactly the same thing.

A thought occurred to him suddenly. “Oh.” He turned to Cas, gently handing off Mary, and smiled at Claire. “I have a surprise for you.” She looked questioningly at him but he simply headed down the hallway towards their room, gesturing for her to follow. She did, Cas close at her heels.

Once inside, Dean headed straight for their bookshelf and tugged out a slim book. The cover was decorated with the silly drawing that Cas had done of the three of them….the day Mary was born, actually…..and immediately Claire’s breath caught. “ _Dean_ …” her voice was soft. “Your _poems_.”

He nodded. “They haven’t actually been printed yet. This is the editor’s copy. They print up a first draft to let me see how it’s all going to look when it’s finished, and this is it.” She was turning it over in her hands, examining it. “I want you to have it.”

At those words her head snapped up, wide eyes staring at Dean. “Dean. I…. _really?_ ”

He nodded, a smile on his face. “Really. You’ve done so much for us, given us so much, and besides that, you’ve become our friend. More than that….you’re family. I want you to have the first copy.”

Claire looked as if she were going to cry. To hide her tears, she turned her gaze to the book’s cover, fingers tracing the title, _‘Silly Sonnets and Random Rhymes’_ , smiling at it. Cas had to smile as well. The title still made him laugh, even after all this time; it was so perfectly _Dean_. “I can’t believe you decided to put this drawing on the cover.”

Dean was surprised. “Why?”

“Cuz I’m in it.”

“…Claire…” Dean was exasperated. “What did I just say. You’re one of us. You’re _family_.”

The blonde flushed at that, a happy blush, and both men could see that she didn’t have words for that answer. She simply looked down at the drawing, fingers tracing the three of them as she murmured “….we all look so silly.”

Dean nodded in his husband’s direction. “Blame Cas for that one.”

“Hey!” Cas wanted to give Dean a shove but it was hard with his hands full of Mary. As it was, he glowered. “You two were being obnoxious. You deserved to be memorialized in caricature.”

“And I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Dean smiled, tracing the cover of the book, the illustration. “I LOVE that picture.”

Claire couldn’t help it; she smiled as well. “Me too.”

Dean gave her a tiny shove. “Then stop complaining, brat.” She only laughed. 

Cas was smiling as he watched them. “I’m going to go put Mary down for a nap. I’m sure everyone will want to see her when they get here….may as well make sure she’s rested up.”

“Good idea.” Dean watched his husband leave, a look of pure happiness on his face. Claire smiled to see it. Then, something by the bed caught her eye and she bent down to take a look.

“Uh, Dean?” She straightened up, his high heels dangling from two fingers by the straps. “What’re these?” Cas entered just in time to see this and he looked from the heels to Dean, then back to Claire. "You guys having threesomes or is something kinkier going on?" Dean blushed at the words, completely giving himself away. Both her brows shot up. "WELL then." She contemplated the two for a moment, taking the whole situation in, then wrinkled her nose. "Gross."

Cas burst out laughing. "Hey, YOU asked," Dean said defensively.

"Yeah," Cas cut in. "Besides, Dean looks damn good in heels."

Claire turned to Dean, giving him an appraising look. He felt his cheeks go red beneath that stare. "I can see that," she said at last.

Dean could feel surprise hit him like a tidal wave. “I…. _what?_ ”

Claire shrugged one shoulder. “You seem like you’d have a good pair of legs on you.”

Dean simply stared. “….I do not know how to take that.” A thought hit him and he frowned. “You’re not going to _tell_ anyone, are you?”

It seemed clear that Claire hadn’t even thought of that, for a smile slowly spread across her face, and Dean immediately regretted his words. “Not if you dance for me.”

Dean could feel his thoughts skip at that, a record-scratch. "Wait....dance for you like....in those?" He pointed to the heels she was still holding.

Claire practically recoiled. "Ew! No! Don't get me wrong, you're a hottie with a body, but you're like a _brother_ to me. I do NOT wanna see you do a striptease." 

"Oh." Dean felt silly. "So...just regular ballet, then?" 

Claire nodded. "Yeah. You still haven’t shown me any ballet. I wanna see you dance." 

That was easy enough. "Okay. I can do that." Dean paused, then grinned. "Hottie with a body?" 

Claire blushed, honest to God _blushed_. "Shut up."

Dean laughed. “No. I _love_ it.”

Claire glowered. “You’re SUCH an ass.”

“Thought I was a hottie with a body?”

Cas shook his head at his husband, though amusement was clearly written on his face. “Dean, stop fishing for compliments.”

“Hey,” and Dean’s face took on a look of mock offense. “It’s just nice hearing I look good. After all, I spent two hours pushing that baby out.”

“YOU spent?” Claire interjected, both brows in the air, but she couldn’t fully suppress her smile.

Dean nodded, trying to bite back a grin but he was unsuccessful and burst into laughter. Claire smacked his shoulder. “Ass.”

“You love me.”

“You’re lucky.” She shook her head. “Brat.”

Cas was watching with a smile. “Dean’s lucky ANY of us love him, what with how big of a brat he is.”

“HEY!” Dean was indignant, reaching out after his husband. Cas ducked away, laughing, but Dean managed to smack him anyway. Cas’ only response was to pull Dean into his arms, giving him a little spin so Dean’s back was pressed to Cas’ front, and hold him close, kissing his throat. Dean immediately stopped struggling and hummed happily, wriggling closer into Cas’ arms, making the brunette chuckle and murmur “silly.”

“Am not.” Dean realized Claire was watching them with some amusement and he blushed. Cas’ lips brushed Dean’s temple in a soft kiss and he laughed softly as he felt the heat of that blush. 

“Why’re you blushing?” Then he looked up and saw Claire. “Oh.” He smiled apologetically. “Sorry.”

She shook her head. “Oh no, don’t mind me. Carry on.”

Dean could feel his cheeks flush even more. “Shut up,” he mumbled. She laughed. 

“No.” She cocked her head at the two of them. “So….you gonna dance for me now, or we gonna wait for some other time?”

Dean could feel that blush go all the way up to the tips of his ears. “….ah….” Both Cas and Claire were waiting expectantly, Cas with a loving smile on his face. “…..whatever you’d rather.”

“We still have a good forty-five minutes or so before anyone gets here.” Cas stroked Dean’s hair gently. “Plenty of time.”

Dean looked from Cas’ soft smile to Claire’s hopeful face. “Fine,” he sighed, a smile on his face. “Fine. I’ll dance.”

Claire actually began bouncing up and down, clapping her hands together, and Dean had to laugh, shaking his head. “Geez. Didn’t know it was that big a deal.”

“If you had, would you have done it sooner?”

“Probably not.”

Cas snorted at the frank abruptness of Dean’s answer and gave him a little shove. “Move your ass, Dean. To the basement.”

“Okay, I’m going, I’m going!” Dean let himself be pushed, laughing, from the bedroom, Claire following close behind the two of them. But after a moment he realized she was no longer following and he stopped. “Claire?”

She had paused in front of his writing office, looking inside. “Did you….” She turned to the boys, gesturing into the office. “Did you put a playpen in there?”

Cas laughed, Dean could feel his cheeks flush ever so lightly as he smiled. “Yea. So I can watch over Mary while I get my writing done.” Often during the day he would bring her in there and set her in the playpen so that she could either play or nap while he got his work done. It was better than having to worry about getting so caught up in his writing that he didn’t notice the baby monitor (not that it had ever happened BEFORE they had put the playpen in the room). Plus he just liked having her there; she was so damn cute. To be able to turn from the computer, cast his attention aside and see his infant daughter playing with her toy Impala or gazing up at him with that gummy smile? It made his heart fly every time.

Claire was grinning now. “Okay, that is BEYOND adorable.”

Her voice startled him out of his thoughts and for a moment he felt almost as if she could hear what he was thinking; he flushed bright red. “Oh, shut up.” She only laughed. Shaking his head, Cas took Dean by the shoulder, guiding him towards the basement.

“C’mon, Baryshnikov, let’s go show off your stuff.”

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean, hurry up!”

“I’m going as fast as I can!” Dean had stepped into the closet to change into his dance pants, the cut off capri sweats that Cas loved so much, and was now tugging on his shoes. Finished, he stepped into view. “Happy?”

“No.”

His brows shot up, he echoed “no?”

Claire shook her head. “I won’t be happy till I see you dance.”

Dean sighed. “You’re brats, the both of you.”

“Hey!” Cas threw a nearby throw pillow at Dean, who deflected it. “Why am _I_ included in that? I didn’t do anything!”

“You just are one and you know it.” Dean fiddled with the sound system. “Any requests?” He still liked _Swan Lake_. It may be overdone but he loved the melody. He flipped through the cds. “ _Giselle_? _Sleeping Beauty_?”

Claire shook her head. “You choose. I wanna see you do your favorite.” 

Dean could hear Cas bite back a laugh, already knowing what it was Dean would choose, and he smiled. “ _Swan Lake_ it is.” He popped the cd into the player and stepped away. The basement was large and completely finished, the hardwood floor gleaming. Dean had wanted to do it but it was Cas who had been insistent, wanting Dean to have a place to dance. There had been plenty of room upstairs to give Cas an art studio so Dean had found it a fair balance. Though if they had more kids, the art studio and/or his writing office might have to go. The thought of the loss should have saddened him but thinking of more kids only filled him with warm butterflies; it distracted him so much that he nearly missed the music beginning.

Dean was only aware of Claire’s gaze for the first few bars of music; as always, he quickly got lost in the melody, in the sheer love of dance. He missed having Cindy around to dance with, but on his own was better than nothing. Besides, Sam was trying to set something up for him…Skype, but with a projector, so Cindy would appear on the wall, life size. He still wouldn’t actually be able to dance WITH her but it would feel much more like the real thing. He was looking forward to it.

Dean felt a wave of sadness when the music came to an end but it didn’t last long. The sound of clapping startled him from his thoughts; his head whipped around and he saw Claire applauding, her face aglow. Cas was clapping as well, a quiet smile on his face. 

Dean had performed in several shows in college and thought he had gotten fairly used to the attention of an audience but he couldn’t handle the attention he was under right now, how impressed Claire looked. But then she was on her feet and he was being squeezed to within an inch of his life.

“That was AMAZING!”

He blushed bright red, the tips of his ears burning. “Thanks,” he mumbled. He felt Cas’ hand on his back, rubbing soothingly, and he relaxed somewhat. 

“Seriously.” And Claire let him go, pulling back to look at him with that huge smile. “You’re so good!”

“Oh my God, shut up.” He still always got embarrassed when complimented like this. But Claire only laughed.

“No. You’re good and you have to deal with it.”

There came the sudden ringing of the doorbell. Cas looked upstairs. “They’re here.”

Dean’s eyes widened almost comically large. “Shit. Shit they’re here. They’re here and I’m in my dance clothes.”

Cas burst out laughing. “You look adorable.” Dean glowered at him.

“You’re not helping.”

Chuckling, Cas leaned in and gave Dean a soft kiss. “Get changed,” he murmured. “I’ll go get the door.”

Dean smiled gratefully, watching Cas head up the stairs with the baby monitor in hand. He changed his pants as quickly as possible, carefully tucking the capris into the dance bag along with his ballet slippers and putting it all back in the closet. Claire was waiting for him when he finished, a smile on her face.

“Thank you….for showing me that.”

He arched a brow at her. “Well I kinda had to,” he answered pointedly. She laughed.

“Dean, if you really think I would’ve told anyone….” She shook her head. “But thank you. It really meant a lot.”

Dean could feel himself flushing but he smiled. “No problem. Now….” he offered his hand. “Shall we?” With a smile she accepted, and they headed up the stairs to join Castiel.

 

**~*~**

 

Benny and Andrea were there, standing in the kitchen with Cas. The two of them had had an on-again-off-again relationship since high school, and currently it was on again. Dean hoped they kept it that way….they were good together.

All three pairs of eyes turned when Dean and Claire entered the room and the tiny blonde flushed scarlet under the attention. Dean gave her hand a small squeeze to reassure her. He knew she was nervous to meet all these people. She looked at him, grateful for the reassurance, then back to the new guests and smiled. “Hello.”

Benny smiled back and Claire immediately relaxed, all tension and nervousness leaving her body. Somehow Dean wasn’t surprised. Benny had that effect on people. He was the world’s biggest teddy bear; you couldn’t help but feel at ease around him. “Hello, Claire. I’m Benny, this is Andrea.”

Andrea was dressed for the cool weather in a pair of loose pants, her short sleeved button down tied up at the waist so just a hint of skin showed. Her chestnut brown hair was in its traditional braid and she smiled, gesturing to the tiny braids Claire always wore in her own hair. “I love your hair.”

“Thanks!” Claire’s cheeks were pink with happiness. 

“I mean it. Did you do those yourself?”

Claire ran her fingers over where the hair was braided right along the side of her head. “Yeah.” Andrea shook her head.

“I could never do that. Braid without looking at what I’m doing?” Another shake of the head. “No way.” Benny chuckled, stroking Andrea’s hair.

“I could do some for you later, if you like.” Claire’s voice was awkwardly hesitant, clearly nervous that her offer would be denied or laughed at. But she needn’t have worried. Andrea’s eyes lit up.

“Really?”

Claire looked relieved. “Sure. And you’d still be able to pull them back into a normal braid, like the one you’re wearing, if you want to.”

“That would be amazing!”

Claire looked so happy. Cas and Dean exchanged glances, so damn pleased to see Claire already so at ease. Cas looked to Benny. “Like a beer?”

“Love one.”

 

**~*~**

 

Garth and Jo arrived not too long after that, and Jo and Claire took to each other immediately. Charlie and Bela had left Lauryn with a sitter so that they didn’t have to worry about keeping an eye on her. It was enough to have to keep an eye on Mary (they had moved one of her playpens to the porch to make it easier). Everyone was getting along splendidly, though the girls had somewhat sequestered themselves and were laughing away. Cas rather suspected that they were making fun of the boys, if the occasional glances were anything to go by. 

He made his way to the grill where Dean was cooking away and gently kissed his husband on the back of the neck. Dean glanced back at him and smiled. “Hey there, sexy.”

“Hello,” Cas murmured, lips brushing Dean’s skin in another kiss. Dean chuckled, flipping a burger, and looked over at the girls.

“Think they’re talking bout us?”

Cas couldn’t help a burst of laughter as Dean voiced exactly what he’d been thinking. “Maybe a little.”

Dean grinned, shrugging a shoulder. “Oh well. As long as they’re having fun, who cares if it’s at our expense.”

“Good point.” The sound of running caught their attention and both turned to see Ash jogging their way. Cas raised a brow. “Nice of you to join us.”

“Oh, shut up and give me a beer.”

Benny handed one over with a grin. “Way ahead of you.”

 

**~*~**

 

Watching Cas eat burgers was like watching Dean eat pie. He had shoved down one and a half before most people had even finished their first. Everyone was used to it by now….everyone except Claire, who stared at him, mouth agape, the entire time, until he threw a handful of potato chips at her, proceeding to cram down another burger and a half.

“Cas, that is DISGUSTING,” Claire said at last. “How do you fit that much in your mouth at once??”

Cas made a face at her; Dean grinned. “Gives you an idea what kind of gag reflex he has…..or doesn’t have.”

“Oh, gross, Dean!” Claire threw Cas’ potato chips at Dean. _And round and round they go_ , he thought with amusement, simply laughing and eating one.

“Now be nice,” he chided, “or you don’t get any dessert.”

“Dessert??” Jo immediately piped up. “You made dessert??” Jo had an incredible sweet tooth and harassed Dean to bake whenever she could. He laughed.

“Yes, I made dessert. Death by Chocolate.” 

There was a collective reaction of excitement; Claire looked questioningly at Dean. “Its chocolate cake, chocolate pudding, and cool whip,” he explained, “layered. Messy and delicious.”

“It sounds it.”

“It is.” Charlie had plopped down beside Dean now, nudging his shoulder with her own. “Can we have it now? Huh? Huh?”

He laughed. “Charlie…..” But he looked around and it didn’t appear that anyone was really eating anymore. “Well I wanna get this cleaned up. But as long as everyone else says they’re ready then I’m fine with serving it.”

Charlie was on her feet in an instant, clearing plates. Dean looked to Bela, who was shaking her head. “Your wife is ridiculous.”

“I’m well aware.” But there was a smile on her pretty face as she watched her wife scurry about the porch, gathering dishes as she went.

It didn’t take long for everything to get cleared away and fresh plates to appear in their place, along with the dish of Death by Chocolate. Dean watched as Charlie served up a dish for everyone. Claire was about to take her first bite but then stopped dead when she saw Cas eagerly digging into his own serving. “No way.” He stopped, looking at her inquisitively. “There’s no WAY you’re eating more, not after three whole burgers and all the rest of that stuff you ate.” He just smiled and she shook her head. “And I thought DEAN was the pig.”

Dean laughed. “Nobody beats Cas when it comes to burgers. Amazingly he even eats more of them than me.” He watched as Claire took her first taste and the look on her face changed to one of pure pleasure.

“Dean, this is _amazing!_ ”

He smiled. “I’m glad you like it. I’ll send you home with some.” He glanced at Jo and Charlie. “If those two pigs don’t eat it all, that is.”

“Hey.” Jo’s voice was muffled around a mouthful; Garth laughed, stroking her hair as she swallowed and cleared her throat before continuing. “Take it as a compliment to your cooking.”

“Oh, I do. Doesn’t change the fact that you’re pigs.”

“Don’t worry, Dean,” Bela interjected. “There’ll be some left. I’ll keep this one in check.”

“Thank you.” Dean looked to Garth and Jo. The look Jo turned on Garth was positively murderous. He swallowed audibly and shook his head, looking to Dean.

“I think if I say anything remotely close to even TRYING to keep Jo in line, I’ll no longer have any junk. And I like my junk. So however much she eats is up to her.”

Jo smiled, running her fingers through Garth’s hair while Cas bit back a snort of laughter. “Smart boy,” she murmured.

Claire was giggling and Cas thought, not first the first time, how amazingly well she was getting along with everyone. It truly was wonderful to see. This meant there would be more cookouts to come, dinners and parties, far into the future as Mary grew older.

 

**~*~**

 

It was late at night when things began to break up. It was depressing, but Claire WAS still in high school….they were lucky her mom let her stay out _this_ late. 

So the boys watched as she said goodbye to the others, hugging them all as if she’d known them for years, and then walked her to the door. Dean had managed to save enough Death by Chocolate to send her home with a container.

“You have all your stuff?”

Claire nodded absentmindedly, looking over the book of poetry Dean had given her. “Mmhm.” Suddenly she stopped dead, staring down at the book.

“…..Claire?” Cas asked, concerned. He realized she was looking at the book’s dedication-- a dedication which contained not just the usual words of love to Cas and the rest of the family but this time a note to Claire; _To Claire, for giving us the most precious gift in the world_.

Apparently Claire hadn’t seen the dedication before now for she was overcome, eyes shining with tears. She threw her arms around Dean, squeezing him tight. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“For….for this? Claire.” Dean shook his head in exasperated affection. “You don’t ever need to thank me. Thank either of us. You really did give us the most amazing gift ever. You gave us Mary. And for that we owe you everything.”

Claire wiped her eyes, managing a watery smile. “I love you guys.”

Cas smiled. “We love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was well after 11 by the time everyone had left. Ash had stayed especially late, since he had arrived late. It was nice, but by the time they finished all the clean-up and a last check-up and diaper change for Mary it was nearly midnight.

The two of them helped each other change, hands wandering as oft they did, then they collapsed into bed together, exhausted. 

Cas let out a long sigh. “I’d REALLY love to fuck you right now, but I’m too Goddamn tired.”

He could hear Dean’s startled burst of laughter and he had to smile. He supposed it made sense. Dean was the one who was prone to such language, these sort of blunt statements of his intentions. Cas was generally more reserved. Until they got in bed, that is, when the dams seemed to burst and Cas took on the mouth of a sailor.

Dean rolled over, smiling up at Cas. “Later?”

Cas leaned in for a soft kiss, a smile of his own as he promised “later.” 

Dean was still smiling as he snuggled up close, head tucked beneath Cas’ chin. He wouldn’t be surprised if he got woken up with sex tonight. “Looking forward to it.”

Cas chuckled, arms tightening around his husband, holding him close as they both fell into a peaceful sleep.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully everyone is cool with Claire being back. I know a few of you aren't big fans.
> 
> Death by Chocolate is real and it is delicious and all of you should make it STAT.


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone go to chapter 1 of 'Every Color in the World' and check out the gorgeous artwork I had commissioned!

It was late June, and Sam was officially home for summer vacation. It’s not like they didn’t see him often enough….Harvard wasn’t that far away. But it was great to have him home on a full-time basis. The only problem with having him home was that Amelia was around. And not the _nice_ Amelia…not Claire’s mom. No, Sam’s girlfriend was named Amelia as well, and Dean couldn’t stand her. He missed Sarah. Sarah, who was smart and witty, and would sass Sam right back whenever he said anything obnoxious. Instead there was Amelia. She didn’t have any trouble giving it right back to Sam but the way she did it was downright bitchy. And she didn’t get along with any of the family. ANY of them. Family was everything, and Sam knew it. Dean could _see_ how much he knew it, see it every time Amelia made a snide comment and the family exchanged glances; he could see the pained look come over Sam’s face for a matter of seconds before he smoothed it away. Dean had been positive that the relationship wouldn’t last long but it had been a year now and they were still going strong. He was starting to despair.

He still kept in touch with Sarah. Sam didn’t know that. He would probably be pissed if he did. But Sarah was sweet and sassy and Dean didn’t want to give up that friendship just because his little brother was an idiot. He supposed idiot was too harsh. The breakup had been a mutual decision. Sarah had headed off to the college of William & Mary in Virginia while Sam had stayed close to home, going to Harvard. After freshman year, they decided that the distance plus the heavy class load made things too difficult and decided to end things. Dean had been frustrated. True, ten hours WAS a long drive, but it wasn’t as if she had gone to Stanford or something, on the other side of the country. Ten hours should have been doable. But again, he wasn’t in their shoes.

But it was June now, and while he may have to put up with Sam bringing Amelia over a couple times a week, Sarah was home as well, and she was coming over today. 

Dean felt lips brush the back of his neck and he glanced over his shoulder, smiling. “Hey there.”

“Hello, handsome.” Cas gently bounced Mary in his arms, looking at Dean's handiwork, then smiled. “Looks great, babe.”

Dean smiled. “Thanks.” He put the finishing touches on a bumbleberry pie. Cas sniffed, taking in the smell, and his eyes widened as realization sank in at last just what kind of pie Dean was making.

“You didn’t.”

Dean could feel his smile grow until he was grinning, cheeks hurting. “I did.” Cas managed to reach around Dean and steal a kiss; Dean laughed into his mouth. “You really do love this pie.”

“Mm.” Cas kissed him again. “I do.”

“I love watching you with it.” Dean grinned. “Gives me an idea what I must look like when _I_ eat pie.”

Cas laughed. “Most likely.” He dipped his finger into the pie, stealing a taste.

“Hey!” Dean swatted at him; Cas just sucked the filling off his finger, a smug smile on his face. Dean’s eyes took on a hint of predatory lust as he watched Cas’ tongue swirl around his finger, cleaning all the filling off, and he moved closer for a kiss. Cas ducked out of reach.

“Now now, Dean,” he admonished, “not in front of the baby!”

Dean groaned, head falling back. “If I can’t kiss you in front of the baby then you shouldn’t be able to perform such a lewd act in front of her.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Cas said innocently.

“Bullshit you don’t.”

“Dean, she’s going to begin learning to talk soon. If you’re not careful, her first word will be an obscenity.”

“No it won’t. Her first word’s gonna be ‘pie’.” Dean spoke with utter certainty. Cas laughed.

“Oh, okay then.” 

Dean gently stroked Mary’s downy blonde hair. “You gonna say ‘pie’ for daddy? Piiiiiieeeee.” He said the word slowly, sounding it out for her. Cas bit back a laugh; it was too damn cute.

There came a knock at the door and Dean immediately straightened, eyes aglow. “Sarah!” It had to be; Sam and Amelia didn’t knock. He looked at his husband. “Can you cover the pie; put it in the fridge?” Realization hit. “Oh. You can’t. You’ve got the baby.” This time Cas DID laugh at him. “Oh, shut up.” There came another knock and he shrugged. He could put the pie away in a minute. Smile on his face, he headed to the door, Cas and Mary close behind him.

Sarah was on the front porch, huge smile on her face. “Dean!” He pulled her into his arms in a huge hug. “I missed you!”

“We missed you too!” He released her, taking a good look. God. He could still remember her when she was 14 and tiny, holding Sam’s hand the day of that infamous soccer game, so quiet on that first date. Never shy, though. Sarah had never been shy.

“Where’s the little girl?” She was looking around. When she saw Cas and the baby in his arms her eyes lit up. “OH MY GOD!” She was at Cas’ side in an instant as the brunette laughed. “She’s _adorable!_ ” She looked up at Cas. “Is she talking yet?”

He shook his head. “Not old enough for whole words. Babbling a bit, though. Should be hearing some ‘dada’s soon.”

Sarah smiled. “That’ll be nice, huh.”

Cas’ face was positively aglow at the thought, and it filled Dean with flutters. His husband was always beautiful but when it came to their daughter he was a special kind of beautiful. There was a purity there, as though nothing could take away his happiness. Dean loved it. “Yes,” Cas said. “It’ll be _wonderful_.”

Suddenly the door opened and there was Sam. “Hey, Dean, I….” but his voice trailed off the second he saw Sarah, eyes wide. She looked much the same, staring at him in surprise. But she gave a tiny smile.

“Hey, Sam.” 

His eyes were still wide but the shock was beginning to fade; he looked pained, almost heartbroken. Then came that voice, that irritating voice that Dean knew all too well. 

“Sam? Why did you stop in the middle of the door??” And Amelia was shoving her way inside, stopping dead when she saw Sarah. “What is SHE doing here?”

God, Dean _hated_ the sound of that voice. And he wasn’t going to put up with Amelia giving Sarah a hard time….not in his house, not ANYWHERE if he could help it. “If you must know, we invited her. She’s our friend.” Amelia looked as if she had just swallowed a lemon. “Now, I have to put the pie in the fridge. Does anyone want a drink?”

“I’ll take a beer, thanks.” Sam sounded so subdued; Dean wanted to laugh.

“Same.”

Dean had to struggle not to roll his eyes. Amelia always asked for whatever Sam was having. He looked to Sarah, a smile on his face. “Let me guess…..Arnold Palmer?”

She smiled. “You know me well.”

He grinned at her, clapping his hands together. “Well, then. I’ll return in a few minutes with drinks.” And he headed to the kitchen.

He was just putting the pie in the fridge when Cas’ voice broke the silence of the room. “Well.” Dean jumped, startled. “That was very clever of you.”

Dean glanced at his husband. Cas had clearly put Mary down for a nap. He pulled two beers out of the fridge and set them on the counter, grabbing the iced tea and lemonade. “Don’t know what you mean.”

“Oh, haha.” Cas set a glass in front of him. “Bullshit. You asked Sam here today on purpose. You WANTED him to see Sarah.”

Dean very carefully filled the glass half with lemonade, half with iced tea. “So what if I did?”

Cas’ answer came in the form of a kiss on the cheek. Dean looked at him in surprise. Cas simply smiled. “So you’re a sneaky little genius and I love you.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “Oh, good. I’m glad you approve.”

Cas nodded. “I do. I think they’re meant for each other.”

Relief swept over him that Cas understood. “So do I.”

“Well then.” Cas grabbed the two beers and two glasses of ice. “Shall we join the others?”

Dean grabbed Sarah’s Arnold Palmer, a little bow and a grand sweep of the hand. “After you.”

 

**~*~**

 

As soon as they entered the living room the tension was palpable. Amelia’s legs were crossed, arms folded across her chest, and she was glaring daggers at Sarah. Sam clearly didn’t want to pay Sarah too much attention, didn’t want to piss off his girlfriend, but he was having a hard time. Dean had known it would be this way; Sam and Sarah had always had a natural connection, long before they were dating.

Sarah didn’t seem uncomfortable at all. She was clearly happy to see Sam, even if the situation was tense, and whenever she noticed Amelia glaring at her she would throw it right back as good as she got.

“That’s my girl,” Dean murmured. Cas elbowed him, hard. “Hey!”

“No one’s your girl. You’re stuck with me, you got it?”

Dean couldn’t help a burst of laughter. “Got it, and gladly.” And he gave Cas a soft, lingering kiss.

“Hey!”

Dean pulled away at the sound of Sarah’s voice, giving Cas’ lower lip a little nip before turning to her. She was smiling. 

“Enough making out, lovebirds. We’re thirsty.”

He laughed. “One Arnold Palmer, coming right up.”

 

**~*~**

 

All in all, as far as the day went, it could have gone a LOT worse. Amelia had never stopped being pissy, but that was her general state. Sam had loosened up quite a bit by the end of the day and was actually talking quite freely with Sarah, though whenever he got TOO at ease he would catch himself, glancing at Amelia, and the smile would fade. Dean frowned. They would have to do something about that. Maybe find a way to trick Sam into coming over alone sometime when Sarah would be there?

Cas went insane over the bumbleberry pie, as he always did. It was terrible, because Dean had to keep Cas in check but Cas had to keep DEAN in check, and in the end they just both ended up eating way too much pie. It was honestly better to make the bumbleberry pie when it was just the two of them, no company, but it was hard to resist; the pie was just so damn good!

The goodbyes were awkward. Sam and Sarah stood before one another, Sam with his hands thrust into his pockets, Sarah with her hands linked behind her back. The both of them were smiling nervously, Sam shifting his feet. Dean wanted to scream “JUST KISS ALREADY” but he knew that would end terribly. Instead he waited and watched until Amelia finally snapped and grabbed Sam by the arm, yanking him towards the door. Sam barely managed to stutter out a goodbye before the two were gone, the door slamming behind them.

There was silence in the house, Sarah staring after Sam’s retreating back. Then the silence was rent by Dean. “I HATE that bitch.”

Sarah burst into laughter. “I can understand why.” She shook her head. “I should probably go.”

“Okay.” Cas gave her a hug. “Sorry we don’t have any pie to send you home with.”

“Oh?” Dean looked at Cas, brows raised. “And whose fault is that?” Cas smiled sheepishly.

“Hey.” Sarah poked Dean’s chest. “You’re not one to talk. You ate plenty of it yourself.”

“Hush, you.” He swatted her hand away, but she just laughed and gave him a hug.

“Thank you for having me. It was great to see you both again.” She pulled away, smiling at the two men. “Do it again soon?”

Cas nodded. “Most definitely.” They walked her to the door. “Call anytime.”

“I will.” She headed to her car and, with a final wave, drove away.

Dean shut the door and flopped back against it with a sigh. There was something about that sigh….something more than pure exhaustion or stress. 

“What,” Cas asked. “What is it?”

Dean managed a tired smile. “How long do you think until Sam shows up?”

Cas was surprised. “Sam? Why do you think Sam would come back?”

“I KNOW Sam will come back. He’s gonna be pissed at me for pulling one over on him, inviting Sarah here the same day as him.”

“Oh.” Yeah. Cas could see that. Sam wasn’t one to like being messed around with.

Dean rolled his head from side to side, cracking his neck. “I’m guessing he’ll be here within half an hour.”

He wasn’t far off. Forty minutes later, Sam showed up on their front porch and he practically kicked the door open.

“What the HELL did you think you were doing??”

“Nice to see you too, Sammy.” Dean’s tone was flippant. He wasn’t afraid of Sam. Sam might be annoyed with him but it was all on the surface. Sam was upset because deep down, he knew that Sarah was the one. And that was going to put his whole life through turmoil.

“Don’t give me that shit.” Sam’s voice was downright murderous. “You know perfectly well what you did. Inviting Sarah over at the same time as Amelia and me? You _knew_ that would cause problems!”

“With who? Amelia?” Dean’s voice was filled with amused disgust. “All three of you are twenty years old, Sammy. If she can’t handle spending time with your ex-girlfriend then she needs serious help.”

“That’s not the point, Dean!”

“Then what IS the point?” Dean practically exploded, frustrated. Sam just stared at him silently. “Because you know what _I_ think it is? I think it’s that you still love Sarah. You still love her and you can’t handle that now, faced with the fact that you can have her, you have to make a choice. And if you choose Sarah, you have to break up with Amelia and make a ton of changes in your life. Not to mention having to make the whole long distance thing work.”

“Shut up, Dean.” Sam’s voice was low and dangerous.

“I don’t even understand why you broke up in the first place. I know you were far apart but that shouldn’t have meant anything. You could still have made it work. Even if you couldn’t go to school together—“

But Sam had had enough, interrupting. “Not everyone can just give into some grand romantic gesture and choose the same school, like you and Cas did.” 

“I’m not TELLING you to,” Dean said, frustrated. Did Sam listen to anything he had just said? “I just said—“

But Sam wouldn’t listen. “You know what, Dean? Fuck you.” And with that he left, storming out the front door and slamming it behind him.

Dean punched the wall hard enough to hurt. He had expected the conversation to go badly but he hadn’t expected to be upset at the end of it. It wasn’t just Sam’s thick-headed stubbornness…..that comment about him and Cas had gotten to him.

He jumped slightly when he felt Cas’ hands on his shoulders. “You okay?” That gravelly voice was soft and soothing. Dean managed a small smile.

“Yea, I’m okay.” The words weren’t altogether true, though, and after a moment he spoke up again. “Cas?”

“Yes?”

Dean’s voice was soft as he asked “Take me to bed?”

Cas gently kissed Dean’s throat, his shoulder. “Of course.”

For once Dean didn’t have anything sexual in mind when he uttered those words; no. Instead he snuggled close to Cas, hugging him tight. Cas was quiet, letting Dean think. It was one quality Dean loved about his husband. Cas always waited for Dean to speak in his own time.

“Cas?” He said at last.

“Mm?” Cas was stroking Dean’s hair.

“Do you think it was stupid of us to go to the same college? I mean we literally only looked at colleges that had both our majors, refused to go to different ones. Was that dumb?”

“No,” Cas practically answered before Dean had finished speaking. “We love each other.” Dean looked up at Cas and saw the smile on his face, the love in those blue eyes. “Maybe other people think it’s dumb but it’s not. I couldn’t have gone to school without you. I needed you.” He smiled. “I still do.”

Dean could feel his cheeks flush happily; he ran a hand through Cas’ hair, tugged a lock. “Sappy bastard.”

Cas laughed. “Yup.”

Dean thought about Cas’ words, of how they loved one another, then thought back to earlier that day. Thought of the way Sam had looked at Sarah, the heartbreak in those huge sad eyes, and he knew without a doubt that someday, one way or another, the two would find a way back to each other. Because the way they looked at each other? That was nothing if not pure love.

Cas kissed Dean’s forehead and the blonde looked up at him. Cas was smiling down at him. “Whatcha thinking bout.”

Dean shook his head. “Nothing. Just what you said.”

“Oh?”

“Yea. And I know now….really know….that they’ll find their way back to each other.”

“Oh?” Dean could hear the smile in Cas’ voice. “That smart, am I? Solved the puzzle for you?”

Dean gave his husband a shove. “SUCH a pain in the ass.”

Cas just laughed. “You love me.”

“I ADORE you.”

“Then kiss me.”

“Not an objection in the world to a request like that.”

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean!”

Dean jumped as the front door slammed open and Cas barreled into the house. “Oh my God, what??”

Cas had the newspaper in one hand and was waving it around. “The book reviews are out!”

Dean immediately felt a chill run through him. His poetry had been published this month and the review had yet to be released. It looked as if here it was. He had been lying on the carpet with Mary; carefully he picked her up and placed her in her playpen. “Okay,” he rose to his feet, facing Cas. “Let me have it.” And he braced himself, looking for all the world like a man preparing for battle.

Cas stared at him and wasn’t completely able to hold back his laughter; Dean just looked so funny. “Dean, relax.” And he opened the paper and began to read. “Dean Winchester, the man best known for the bestselling novel _‘Silver Quick’_ , has published a collection of poetry. In my career as a literary reviewer, I have found that most authors are suited to one form of writing, be it novels, plays, or poetry. Dean Winchester has just proved that old adage wrong.”

Dean felt his heart skip a beat. But Cas wasn’t done.

“It is the opinion of this writer that Dean Winchester could publish a _cookbook_ and make it a riveting read.”

Cas continued to read and the words were definitely sinking in, but Dean couldn’t move. He felt as if he were floating. But now Cas was coming to the end.

“This humble writer would like, more than anything else, to see Dean Winchester take on the world of the theatre and write a play, rounding out his writing repertoire. And if he ever feels like taking on a _huge_ challenge, well….my eggs benedict could use a bit more sass.”

Finished with his reading, Cas looked up and his face was aglow; he looked to Dean, waiting for a reaction. It was as if Cas’ voice had put Dean in a trance; now that it was broken he felt his own face break into a smile and then Cas was on him, the two of them falling to the floor as they shared a torrid kiss.

Cas pulled away, trying to catch his breath. “Dean,” he managed. “You….that….” Dean waited expectantly for Cas to find words. Instead, the brunette grabbed the newspaper, eyes once again scanning the review. “I’m framing this and hanging it on the wall.”

Dean colored at the very thought. “You are not!”

“I so totally am.”

And that’s exactly what happened.

 

**~*~**

 

It was a slow, lazy Sunday. Cas didn’t have to work and Dean had taken a day off from writing (he was still avoiding the review in the hall, ducking his head and blushing madly whenever he had to pass by). Instead they were spending the day with Mary.

Dean was tickling her tummy with one finger. Cas smiled. “Think she’ll turn out ticklish like her dad?”

Dean laughed. “Lord, I hope not. Poor thing.” Cas just grinned.

“Da!”

They both froze at the tiny voice, looking down at Mary. Cas looked to Dean, voice barely audible as he tried to form a question. “Did…..did she just….”

“I think so.”

Both men turned their attention to their daughter once more, waiting to see if Mary would speak again. She didn’t disappoint, tiny fists pounding on the floor as she said “da!”

Dean and Cas looked at each other with huge eyes. They didn’t know if she even meant “daddy” and, if so, which one of them she meant, but it didn’t matter. Dean cupped Cas’ face, pulling him in for a kiss. Cas laughed breathlessly when they separated.

“You know now that she’s starting to speak, you'll have to come up with another name for one of us." Dean looked at Cas in confusion so, smiling, the man continued. "You always call us daddy Dean and daddy Cas. She'll need a way to differentiate."

"Oh." Dean paused as he thought, then grinned. "How bout Thing 1 and Thing 2, like in _'the Cat and the Hat'_?"

Cas burst out laughing. "How is that any different??"

“It’s TOTALLY different!”

So the two sat arguing and laughing, their daughter lying before them and intermittently uttering her one word, long into the bright, sunny day. And when Thing 1 and Thing 2 went to bed that night, curled up close together, they lay content in the presence of each other and the most perfect little girl ever.

_Da._

Wasn’t it a beautiful word?

 

**~fin~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The title of Dean's book came from Quicksilver from the Avengers. I'm in love with Pietro. I'm really not in love with it as a book title but there's a throwback to my love. <3
> 
> Bumbleberry pie is a mixed berry pie, so the ingredients vary, but it's generally something like raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries, and it is DELICIOUS. 
> 
> Amelia is the girl from when Sam hit the dog and started dating the vet (Amelia). I always hated that story arc and thought she was a bitch, so I used her for this, even though it puts a second Amelia into play. I'm not planning on having Claire's mom in here much so it shouldn't get confusing.
> 
> In case you didn't read the note up top, go to the first chapter of 'Every Color in the World' and look at the art I commissioned. It's GORGEOUS.


	15. Chapter 15

“CAS!”

The excitement in Dean’s voice was beyond palpable. Cas wiped his hands off from where he had been painting in his art room. That said something about how loud Dean was; Cas’ work room was upstairs and on the opposite side of the house from the living room where Dean was sitting with Mary.

Cas tossed the rag aside and moved to the bathroom to give his hands a wash; he didn’t want to go near Mary with paint-covered hands. “CAAAAAAAAS!” Dean’s voice was plaintive and insistent and Cas couldn’t help a chuckle.

“I’m coming, baby.” Realizing his shirt was a mess as well he tossed it to the floor and headed into their bedroom, reaching into their dresser and pulling out the first shirt he found. By the sound of things if he took any longer Dean was going to blow a gasket.

The sound of Cas’ bare feet thudding down the stairs somewhat relaxed Dean; he smiled when his husband came into the room, shirtless. “A mite underdressed, aren’t you?”

“Oh, shut up.” Cas tugged the shirt over his head and was surprised to see Dean’s smile grow. Usually Dean was happier when Cas was naked. But then Dean’s smile grew into a full-fledged grin.

“Nice shirt.”

Cas looked down and realized that what he had pulled out of the drawer was none other than Dean’s favorite Led Zepplin shirt. He looked up at Dean with a sly smile. “Like me in this, do you?”

Apparently the combination of the shirt and the smile did something to Dean for his eyes darkened. “Shut up. You know I do. And I don’t particularly want to ravish you in front of our infant daughter. Though the ravishing alone sounds good,” he admitted.

Cas laughed. “Fair enough. So. What’d you call me for?”

Dean gestured for Cas to sit beside him, which the man did. Mary was lying on the floor, though at five months now she was old enough to support her own head. Soon she should be able to sit up. But at the moment she didn’t seem to be doing anything other than that. Cas looked to his husband.

“What? What is she—“ but he was cut off by their daughter, whose vocabulary had been rapidly developing (though still no full words), piped up with a tiny “imp!”

Cas turned to Dean, a surprised smile on his face, but Dean looked absolutely ecstatic. "She's TOTALLY saying 'impala.'"

"Dean." Cas looked at his husband with exasperated affection. "She is NOT a saying Impala. She's just babbling."

Dean gave his husband a look that totally said 'watch THIS' and hunkered down next to Mary. "Hey, kid," he murmured. "Wanna say 'impala' for daddy? C'mon.....impala."

Cas watched, amused, but then Mary opened her tiny mouth and there came forth the soft but unmistakable sound of "impa," as though Mary were trying to sound out the word.

Dean looked to Cas, face triumphant. Cas stared at their daughter. "Holy shit." Dean waited expectantly, a smug smile on his face; Cas turned to him with wide eyes. "I think you’re right."

"Of course I am." He stroked Mary’s soft blonde hair. “You know what the important things are, huh baby girl.”

Cas chuckled and Dean looked up at him. “What. What’s so funny.”

“You and your important things.” He leaned in and kissed Dean’s forehead. “I’ve got the two most important things in the world right here.”

Dean smiled at him. “Sap.” But Cas could see from the pink flush to Dean’s cheeks just how happy he was. He leaned in and gave Cas a kiss. “I love you.”

Cas stroked his cheek, thumb tracing that plump lower lip. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

Dean closed his eyes with a sigh. It wasn't too long ago that he had waved goodbye to Ellen and Bobby. He loved seeing them but last night had been tough and he was exhausted. He wished Jo could have been there but it was a Thursday and Jo generally only made it home on the weekends. Jo was in college as well as Sam but she had stuck to Connecticut…..Central Connecticut State University. She hadn’t decided yet what she was majoring in, though she was taking a lot of theatre classes, which amused Dean to no end. He never would have pegged her for the theatre type, but she was actually really good. She was also taking business courses. Maybe she’d take over the Roadhouse after Ellen retired. Who knows.

Either way, it was nice having her in Connecticut. It meant she could come home every weekend for family lunch, and could see Garth whenever she wanted. It was more than he could say for Sammy, up in Massachusetts at Harvard. He managed to get back to Connecticut occasionally but not nearly often enough for Dean’s liking. Still, he’d take what he could get.

Besides, his plan had worked: Sam and Sarah had had some alone time during summer break. It had pissed Amelia off but at some point Sam had grown a pair and told her to deal with it, and Dean was pretty sure that Sarah and Sam were going to keep in touch when they got back to school.

Dean sank deeper into the tub with a happy sigh. The water was deliciously warm and after spending the entire night up writing he was exhausted, and had decided to pamper himself with a bubble bath. He just hoped Cas came home soon. The only thing that could make this bath better would be his husband wrapped in his arms.

There came the soft click of the door opening. “Speak of the devil,” he murmured. And there he was in the doorway, Cas, clad in a white button down shirt and gray slacks, Dean’s favorite blue tie on. Dean was surprised to see it. In Cas’ line of work he usually dressed casual, lest the children ruin all his good clothes.

“Hey, baby.”

Cas smiled at him. “Hi.” His eyes raked over Dean, taking in the whole picture, and his smile grew. “Bubble bath?”

Dean nodded, cheeks pinking ever so slightly. “Hard night.” A look of sympathy crossed Cas’ face.

“I’m sorry, baby.” He kicked off his shoes. “Well, how bout I give you a massage later?”

Dean couldn’t help the moan that escaped. “Oh God that sounds AMAZING.” Cas chuckled, the noise rolling in his chest, and Dean felt his dick starting to take interest. Especially with Cas wearing that outfit. Speaking of… “Why’re you all dressed up?”

“Had a meeting with the board members today.” Cas undid his tie and yanked it off in one smooth movement that did NOTHING to calm Dean’s libido. “They wanted to discuss my performance.”

“Should’ve brought me.” Dean smirked. “I can give them _rave_ reviews of your performance.”

Cas’ laugh was deep and delighted; he shook his head as he unbuttoned his shirt. “Ass.” His voice was affectionate. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the kind of performance they want to talk about.” 

Dean watched as Cas stripped, shirt and pants falling to the floor. “Well it’s a damn good kind.”

Cas toed off his socks and moved to the edge of the tub. He arched a brow at Dean. “Got room in there for me?”

Dean smiled. “Always.” But instead of shifting to let Cas behind him as they always sat, he spread his legs so Cas could sit between them, in front of him. Cas looked at him in surprise for only a moment before he smiled and climbed into the tub, sinking happily back into Dean’s arms. “So, you got a great review, right?”

Cas smiled at the constant faith Dean had in him. “I did.” He played idly with the rubber ducky that sat nearby.

“Mmm.” Dean hummed, pressing a kiss just below Cas’ ear, murmuring “good.” Then he was scrubbing Castiel’s back with the floofy shower puff, the blue one he had bought specifically to match Cas’s eyes, like the dork he was.

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/bbathcommission_zpssxap5xtx.png.html)

Cas relaxed against Dean with a happy sigh. He really wasn’t sure why Dean had put him up front today. In general, Cas took the dominant position, whether in the tub, in snuggling, or in sex. One time he had asked Dean about it, concerned that Dean was unfulfilled with how they did things. _“Do you want to switch things up?”_

_But suddenly Dean got all shy; his voice was incredibly quiet when he spoke. "I like it when you take me." He wouldn't look at Cas, gaze lowered. "It makes me feel...." but he trailed off._

_"....feel?" Cas prompted._

_Those green eyes looked up at Cas, Dean's voice barely audible as he whispered "safe." Cas felt his heart melt but Dean wasn't done. "Loved. Complete."_

_Oh God. Cas' heart couldn't take it. Those words, so scared, as though Dean thought Cas would reject him for what he'd just said. How could he think that Cas would ever reject him? And those words....they were positively BEAUTIFUL._

_"So...if you're okay with that...?" His voice was so hesitant. Cas wanted to wipe that fear away, replace it with Dean's normal bravado. He cupped the man's face in his hands and kissed him hard and deep, putting every ounce of passion into it. When he pulled away, Dean was staring at him in complete and utter surprise._

 _"I'm MORE than okay with that." He stroked Dean's cheek. "I can't tell you how much I adore making love to you, Dean." The boy's cheeks flushed, delighting Cas. "The fact that it makes you feel safe, and loved? Complete? That's even more reason to do it. That's AMAZING." Dean was blushing but he was smiling and that was all that mattered. "So if you DO ever want to switch it up just say the word, its fine with me. If not, I am MORE than happy with the way things are."_

_"Promise?" There was still a touch of nervous hopefulness to Dean's voice. Cas shook his head with a smile, giving Dean a gentle kiss,_

_"Promise."_

After all this time, Cas was still beyond shocked that Dean felt safe being on bottom. After everything he'd been through in life....his father's abuse, both emotional and physical, nearly selling himself to save Sam, all the nights of hustling and being hit on by men twice his age, the whole incident with Balthazar, and finally that infamous soccer game.....after all that and God knows what else, Cas would never have expected Dean to be comfortable in such a position of vulnerability, let alone to want it the majority of the time. But he did. And not only that, he felt SAFE. The fact the he, Castiel, could give Dean that? That was EVERYTHING.

“Cas?” Dean’s voice sounded panicked. “Cas, what’s wrong?” 

And Castiel realized suddenly that those memories had made him cry, his shoulders shaking as the tears fell. Even sitting behind him, Dean must have seen it, the shaking. He shook his head, turning to face Dean as best he could. “I was just thinking,” he said, “of that time so long ago when I asked you about if you ever wanted to be on top. How you said I make you feel safe.”

Dean’s cheeks flushed at the memory but he nodded without hesitating. "You do. More than anything." 

Cas wiped away his tears with the back of a hand. “I can’t tell you how amazingly happy that makes me feel.”

The most beautiful smile spread across Dean’s face; he cupped Cas’ face in his hand and kissed him soft and slow, gently nipping his lower lip. Cas let their foreheads rest together when they parted, smiling softly at his husband. Dean was smiling back but then he glanced around him and looked back to Cas with a bit of a wicked quirk to his grin. "So…..wanna give it a go right now?"

Cas cocked his head, confused, and Dean felt that familiar fluttering at how adorable that head tilt was. “Give what a go?”

“Well, you like being the one to make love to me, and vice versa…..I thought maybe, since we’ve lived in this house a while but haven’t broken in this tub yet….”

Cas’ eyes widened impossibly huge in surprise. "What…now? Here?" He glanced doubtfully around them. The tub was big but he didn't know that it was THAT big. Then he felt one fingertip trace his jawline and his gaze returned to Dean. Dean, who was giving him that smile, a dark promise in his eyes, and he knew there was no way he could refuse.

Cas let his lips lightly brush Dean’s. “Yes,” he breathed. “ _Yes_.”

Cas was already in Dean’s lap….it didn’t take much positioning to nudge his legs wider apart, to seat him more comfortably. Then Cas felt a fingertip brush against that ring of muscle and he gasped, his grip on Dean’s shoulder’s tightening. “Dean!”

Dean chuckled. “Little tight there, buddy.” He pressed a soft kiss to Cas’ throat, his shoulder. “Rough day?” His voice was teasing. Cas swatted Dean’s shoulder.

“You know exactly how my day went, you brat.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. He’d had a rough enough day of his own (or night, rather) but there was no need to talk about that now. Not with Cas so warm and willing in his lap. He cupped Cas’ jaw in one hand and that gorgeous blue gaze met his. There was a heat there and he felt a stirring deep in his gut. Yea. Definitely later. He pressed forward with a sudden urgency, hips rolling up. Cas gasped at Dean’s sudden need, enthusiasm. “Dean.” His voice was a breathy moan, and fuck all if that didn’t shoot straight to Dean’s dick. He rolled up again, delighting in the deep groan it elicited. His hand fumbled for the bottles lining the tray they kept beside the tub (the only downside to an old-fashioned tub: no place to put your shampoo) and managed to grab the body wash. He spilled a hefty amount onto the tray in the process but that didn’t matter; he simply needed enough to take care of Cas.

Dean kissed that spot below Cas’ ear before nipping his earlobe, tugging gently. It was one of Cas’ more sensitive spots and sure enough, the brunette let out a gasp. “Lift your hips for me, baby,” Dean whispered. Cas complied and Dean slipped a hand back, one now slippery finger pressing into Cas.

Cas moaned, immediately rocking back in the search for more and Dean chuckled. “Patience, baby.”

“No.” Cas pressed back insistently. “Hurry up, Dean.”

“Okay, okay.” And on the one hand, Cas had a point. If they went TOO slow then the makeshift lube was going to run out and they would be repeating this all night. He pressed in another finger, working fast to open Cas up. It was a damn shame he had to hurry this, for Cas painted a beautiful picture: rocking back and forth on Dean’s fingers, eyes shut, head tipped back as he savored the sensation. He was gripping Dean’s shoulders to maintain his balance. Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away.

“Goddamn, baby, you’re so fucking beautiful.” Dean whispered. He delighted in the way the words brought a flush to Cas’ face, his chest. Cas rarely blushed (that was Dean’s department) so Dean loved when he succeeded.

“Shut up,” Cas mumbled, the volume all he could manage in his current state of mind, of pleasure. “And fuck me.”

Fuck, it was hot when Cas talked that way. Dean gave a final scissor of his fingers and yea, Cas was ready. He reached for the body wash to get some extra lube but Cas grabbed his hand. “NO.” The word was such a forceful order that Dean stopped in his tracks, staring in surprise. “NOW. Fuck me now.”

There was no way to describe the feelings that rolled through Dean. An order. Cas had given him a direct order. And the look in those eyes……before he even realized when he was doing Dean had Cas’ hips in hand, lifting the man up and positioning him before driving up into Cas, pulling the man down onto his cock as he sank in in one smooth motion.

“ _Oh!_ ” Cas’ grip on Dean’s shoulders tightened, fingers digging in to the point of extreme pain. Dean felt a wave of worry.

“Cas….you okay?” But he had barely finished his sentence before Cas was rolling his hips.

“Goddammit Dean, MOVE!”

Oh, motherfucking hell, another order. Dean was losing his Goddamn mind. He fucked up into Cas, hands gripping his waist tight enough to bruise. Cas let out a choked gasp, his head falling forward, forehead resting on Dean’s shoulder. Dean had barely a second to worry before Cas was nuzzling his shoulder, biting down hard. He would bleed tonight, he knew it.

“So fucking sexy, Cas.” 

Cas simply let his tongue run over the bite mark and by the stinging feeling yes, Dean would assume Cas had already broken skin. “Harder,” he whispered. “Fuck me harder.”

Honestly, Dean wasn’t sure that was possible. Each time his hips snapped up into Cas, the bathwater sloshed over the side of the tub. They were creating a Goddamn mess and he couldn’t care less. Not when Cas felt so good, so tight around him, hands once again gripping Dean’s shoulders. One thumb pressed into the still bleeding bite mark and Dean cried out. “Holy fucking hell!”

“Dean…..Dean, please.” Cas’ tone wasn’t ordering now, it was pleading. Dean knew exactly what he wanted. He wrapped his hand around Cas’ cock and gave it a stroke

“Oh!” Cas’ head tipped back, the long line of his throat exposed. “Don’t stop, Dean. Just like that. Just…exactly….like….” and then he was coming with a broken cry.

Dean couldn’t tear his eyes away, despite the feeling of Cas’ muscles tightening around him in orgasm, that heat spattering his hand and chest. “ _God_ , Cas…..” 

Then those blue eyes opened, still dazed with lust and dizzy from the intensity of his orgasm. But somehow, he focused on Dean. “Dean. Come for me. _Now_.”

Before now Dean would have thought it to be a myth of coming on command, but that look on Cas’ face, the order falling from those lips…..he was gone. When his head cleared he found himself leaning against Cas, their foreheads resting together, those blue eyes smiling at him from mere inches away. Cas stroked his hair. “Good boy,” he said. Dean let out a groan and collapsed back against the tub, throwing an arm over his eyes.

“Don’t _say_ that. Unless you’re ready for round two, do NOT say that.”

Cas burst into laughter, reaching out to affectionately stroke Dean’s cheek. “You really do love being ordered around, huh.”

Dean peeked from beneath his arm, a pout on his face. “Like you didn’t know. Conniving little bastard.”

There was another little laugh. “Maybe.” Cas leaned in, a smile on his face as he murmured “but don’t pretend you didn’t love it.”

Just those words alone made Dean’s stomach flip-flop. “ _God_ , did I ever,” he whispered.

“Good.” Cas kissed him. “Me too.” He sat back, then looked around them. “Well, I think we did a damn good job breaking in the tub. Though we have quite a clean-up job ahead of us.”

Dean pushed himself to a sitting position and burst out laughing at what he saw. The tub water was all over the floor…..literally all over the floor. The two men were sitting in about six inches of water. Everything else had been splashed over the side in the enthusiasm of their lovemaking. 

Dean looked up at Cas with a smile. “Still think it was a good idea?”

Cas returned the smile. “Absolutely _fantastic_.”

Dean leaned back with a sigh, pulling Cas back with him. “I don’t feel like moving.”

Cas chuckled, snuggling up against Dean’s chest. “Me neither, to be honest.” He stroked Dean’s chest, completely content. “So…..how was your day?” Dean was silent for a long moment and Cas frowned, worried. “Everything okay?”

Dean shrugged. “Just didn’t sleep well last night. So I tried to get some writing done but I had trouble with that, too.”

Cas’ entire face fell. “And then I left you alone with Mary all day. I’m so sorry, baby.”

“Cas.” Dean was exasperated. “What else would you do?”

“I don’t know. Take her to work with me? Find a babysitter?”

“Don’t be ridiculous.” Dean poked Cas’ waist, though it wasn’t as effective as the other way around, since Cas wasn’t ticklish at all. “I can take care of our kid.”

“I know you can, dorkface. But when you’re feeling sick you shouldn’t HAVE to.”

Dean felt a wave of love for his fantastic husband and kissed him on the forehead. “You’re wonderful, you know that?”

“You tell me so all the time.”

“Good. You deserve to know.”

“Well.” Cas lifted his head so he could look Dean in the eye, stroking his cheek. “How bout I get this cleaned up while you prepare a nice hot shower for us—“

Dean smiled. “Sounds nice.” He didn’t want to leave all the clean-up to Cas but he knew that once his husband got an idea in his head there was no stopping him.

“And then after we’re all nice and clean, I’ll give you a massage before we go for a nap.”

Cupping Cas’ face in his hands, Dean pulled him in for a kiss. “That sounds like the best plan _ever_.”

And once they were cleaned up, Dean’s knotted-up back taken care of, they curled up in bed together and settled in for a long, peaceful nap.

Dean was asleep almost immediately, having gotten next to no sleep the night before. Cas watched him with a smile. If he had his way, his husband would get a full afternoon of sleep and wake up to dinner. Take-out, most likely, since Dean was the cook in the family. Dean deserved all the good things in life, whether he believed it or not.

Giving his sleeping husband a soft kiss in the cheek, Cas settled in for a peaceful nap.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More amazing fanart by the same artist. If you have any suggestion for art you'd like to see, please tell me.....she has said she'd be willing to do several pieces for me.
> 
> And yes, several months have passed. Pretty soon there'll probably be a bigger time skip because I don't literally want to go month by month of Mary's life or we'll never get anywhere haha


	16. Chapter 16

Dean sat at his computer, typing away. He was making good progress on his second novel, despite all the distractions family life brought. Besides, he wouldn’t trade those distractions for a missed extra hour or two of work any day. Cas and Mary were what kept him going.

“Fuck!”

Dean’s head whipped around, heart in his mouth; he stared with huge eyes down at Mary in her playpen. She was smiling up at him.

_She didn’t….she **couldn’t** have._ He reached into the playpen and very carefully picked her up, holding her so they were eye to eye.

“Mary….did you say something to daddy?”

Her response was immediate, that little voice so cheerful. “Fuck!”

Dean let out burst of laughter; he couldn’t help it. Hearing that word come from his tiny daughter’s lips was just too hilarious. She was giving him a gummy smile, clearly happy to hear her daddy laughing. “Fuck,” she repeated, and that sobered Dean up. _Dammit_. Cas had been right. He was always scolding Dean about his language, saying that Mary’s first word would be an obscenity. Dean had brushed it off but now it turned out that Cas was right.

….fuck, indeed.

 

**~*~**

 

“I’m home.” Cas’ voice was slightly tired as he announced his presence. The kids had been particularly enthusiastic today. He was lucky they weren’t working with paint or he would be covered with it. “Dean?” He called out tentatively, his voice low enough so as not to disturb his husband if he was sleeping.

But no, there Dean was in the doorway, Mary in his arms. She looked exceptionally happy. Dean, on the other hand….there was a look on his face of almost…..apprehension? Nervousness? Immediately Dean spoke up. “Promise you won’t be mad.”

Oh God. Never a good start. But Mary looked fine, so Cas nodded. “Promise. Why. What’d you—“ but he hadn’t finished the question before Mary happily chirped “fuck!”

Castiel’s blue eyes widened in shock. Dean waited, panic flowing through him as Cas stared…..and stared…..and stared…..and then burst into laughter. Dean was taken aback but relieved at the sound.

“I TOLD you!” Cas moved to join them, stroking Mary’s hair. “I _told_ you this would happen!”

“I know, I know,” Dean groaned.

Cas shook his head, giving his husband a fond smile. “Now I have to write in her baby book that her first word was ‘fuck’.”

“It ASKS that??”

Cas laughed at the horror in Dean’s tone. “Yes. It does.” Dean looked absolutely mortified, cheeks crimson. It was adorable. “Hey.” Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s hair. “We wouldn’t be us if our child didn’t say something strange for her first word.”

That made Dean smile, but he was still blushing. “Still coulda been something like ‘pie’ or ‘Impala’.”

Cas chuckled, gently taking Mary from Dean’s arms. “I think ‘fuck’ is just fine.”

“Fuck!” Mary chimed in and even Dean couldn’t help but laugh.

“Oh man.” Cas looked at Dean. “She can’t go to her Baby Babble class. Besides pissing off other parents by having a dirty mouth around their kids, everyone will think we’re terrible parents.”

Dean couldn’t help a small snort of laughter. “Very true.” 

Cas looked at Mary as he thought about it. “Shit.”

A smile spread over Dean’s face. “Careful, Cas. Our kid already knows ONE foul word. I don’t think her second word needs to be filth as well.”

Cas cracked up. “You have a point.” He paused, smiling as a thought occurred to him. “Wonder what your majka will say when she hears this.”

Dean’s head fell back as he groaned. “Oh fuck.” He didn’t even notice his daughter echoing the curse word, too caught up in thinking of Ellen’s reaction. “She’s gonna KILL me.”

Cas’ laughter was affectionate. “She will not.”

“Will too.” Dean held his arms out, presenting himself to Cas. “Take a good look at your husband now, babe, I’m sure to be dead shortly. Brutally murdered.”

Cas sighed, shaking his head. “You are ridiculous, you know that, don’t you?”

“It HAS been mentioned before. Most every day by you.”

“Mmm…” Cas moved in to give Dean a gentle kiss. “Good.” He caressed Dean’s cheek, loving the roughness of his unshaven jaw. “I love you.”

Dean smiled, stroking that messy hair. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

When Ellen and Bobby heard that their granddaughter had said her first word, they naturally wanted to come over and hear it. Dean had wanted to tell them over the phone and try to minimize Ellen’s wrath but he hadn’t had the guts.

In the end, it hadn’t been bad at all. Both of them had been shocked, of course. Ellen had tried to seem mad, scolding Dean, and he had acted appropriately apologetic, meekly apologizing.

Bobby, on the other hand, didn’t even ATTEMPT to hold back his laughter, cracking up as soon as Mary uttered that one four-letter word. Ellen had given him her best death glare but even that hadn’t been enough to get him under control. When she wasn’t looking, he gave Dean a thumbs-up. Dean bit his lip to hold back a snort of laughter but he wasn’t entirely successful, and Ellen turned to him with another of those LOOKS. He attempted to look very serious, parental, and responsible.

“Now I know _Castiel_ has been providing a good example,” Ellen said. “Unlike SOME people, HE’S well behaved.”

Now THAT made Dean laugh worse than Bobby’s thumbs-up and this time he couldn’t hold back the snort of laughter. Cas glared at him but there was a twinkle in those blue eyes 

They stayed for over an hour and Dean was exhausted when they left…..probably because of the brow-beating Ellen had given him. 

“See? It wasn’t bad.”

Dean gave Cas an evil look. “Yea, for YOU, maybe.”

“Oh, she’s not really mad and you know it.”

Dean softened. “Yea, I know.” He pouted. “Still gave me a hard time.” His gaze turned to Cas. “Unlike CASTIEL, who is SO well behaved!”

Cas’ blue eyes went wide as he tried to look innocent but he couldn’t hold it, bursting into laughter. Dean nodded, grinning.

“Yea…see? Even YOU can’t pretend it’s true.”

“And I don’t want to.” There was something in Cas’ voice now, a very distinctive tone that he only got when he was feeling frisky. “I’d much rather show you how badly behaved I can be.”

There was a look in those blue eyes now, the pupils so dilated that there was practically no blue visible. Dean felt the heat flood through him. The words he managed were breathless. “Well, then,” his hand felt behind him for the doorframe, orientating himself. Satisfied that he knew exactly where he was, he smirked at Cas. “Come and get me.” And he turned and fled through the door just behind him.

He could hear a startled cry as he vanished from the room and he grinned, knowing he had caught Cas completely by surprise, and he thanked God that they had put Mary down for a nap already. With any luck they’d have a long, undisturbed gap of time for Cas to fuck him within an inch of his life.

Dean could hear Cas behind him and he couldn’t help but grin; he took a hard right and headed into their room (things would end up there anyway, may as well head in that direction). But he’d barely made it two steps into the room before Cas slammed into him from behind, knocking him face-first onto the mattress.

Cas landed on him from behind, Dean letting out an "oof” as that solid weight hit him. Cas let him up just enough to roll over and he grinned at Cas. "Graceful, babe."

Cas shrugged. "Worked, didn't it?" He was breathless from the chase, a smile gracing his lips, and his hair was a mess. Dean thought he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. 

He reached up to touch that hair, fingers running through the messy locks, and Cas' eyes slipped shut with a happy sigh. When they opened, their pupils were dilated. “You ran.” There was an edge to the words, not anger but heat.

Dean’s smile turned coy. “Wanted to see what you’d do.”

Cas’ smile twisted, taking on a wicked edge. “Oh, I’ll show you what I’m gonna do.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was nearly an hour later before Cas collapsed, weight pinning Dean to the mattress. “ _Damn_ ,” he managed.

Dean laughed breathlessly. “You said it.” He carded his fingers through Cas’ sweat-dampened hair. “I should run more often.”

Cas propped himself up on an elbow to look at Dean. “Oh, you saying I don’t fuck you well enough on a normal basis?”

The answer was immediate. “ _Fuck_ no. You’re perfect. It’s _always_ perfect.”

Smiling, Cas gave Dean a soft kiss, the barest brush of lips. “Good answer,” he murmured.

Dean laughed, shaking his head. “Silly.” He heaved a sigh; Cas looked at him quizzically.

“What. What is it.”

“Just thinking bout what’s gonna happen when Jo and Charlie find out bout Mary’s first word.”

Cas laughed. “Jo and Charlie are nothing; Think about what’s gonna happen when GABRIEL finds out.”

“OH GOD.”

 

**~*~**

 

Within the week everyone had heard Mary’s first word. Even Sam, who got to hear it via skype and had TRIED to pretend he was ashamed of Dean, that Dean was impossible, but he couldn’t completely hide his smile.

Everyone else got to hear it firsthand, and the general reaction was laughter of differing levels. Charlie burst into a fit of giggles while Bela rolled her eyes at her wife. Jo was nearly as bad. Benny’s blue eyes crinked as he smiled softly at Dean, who shot a warning glare back at him.

Gabriel, as expected, was impossible. He had arrived later than everyone else and the men didn’t even fully get to warn him (only that she’d said her first word, not what it was) before the tiny blonde was cheerfully saying “fuck!” Gabe stared at her with wide eyes and then practically keeled over with laughter. However, unlike with everyone so far, he showed no sign of stopping. After a good three minutes of this, Cas gently guided his brother out onto the porch and shut the door behind him.

“Well,” he said. “We should see him again in a good…..five to ten minutes or so.”

True to his word, Gabriel reappeared approximately eight minutes later, his face bright red from all his laughter. “So.” He looked at the two men. “Which one of you chuckleheads is responsible for this.”

Cas jerked a thumb in Dean’s direction. ”Dean.” 

“Was that even a question?” Jo moved to her brother’s side, stroking Mary’s hair. “Cas doesn’t have that foul a mouth.”

“Oh my God!” Dean’s laugh was disbelieving. Thank God, Gabriel joined him in that laughter.

“Cassie?! You’ve _got_ to be kidding me. When he’s in the mood, Cassie curses like a sailor.”

“Shut up, Gabriel.” Cas’ cheeks were pink; Dean delighted to see it.

“See?” His voice was triumphant. “I’m not the only one who could have taught her that.”

“No.” Charlie was at his side now; she gave him a noogie. “But you probably were.”

He glared at her. “Thought you were my friend, Bradbury.”

She grinned. “Doesn’t mean I can’t speak the truth.”

“Fuck!”

There was a moment of shocked silence and then everyone began laughing. Dean gently rocked Mary in his arms, murmuring “that’s right, baby girl, you tell ‘em.”

“Dean,” Cas’s voice was amused. “Don’t encourage her.”

“Oh, like she knows what I’m saying.” He gently stroked Mary’s hair, whispering “Thing One is the _angry_ daddy, isn’t he.”

“Thing One?” Garth echoed. Cas flushed; Dean grinned.

“I always called us Daddy Dean and Daddy Cas but once Mary started talking, THIS one,” he gestured to Cas with a jerk of his thumb, “said we needed different names. I voted for Thing One and Thing Two, like in the Cat and the Hat.”

“And he would not be dissuaded.” Cas’ voice was fondly exasperated. Dean turned that gorgeous grin in his direction and as always, Cas melted, leaning in for a kiss.

“I think that’s _adorable_.” The words startled Dean, especially since they came from Bela. “Lauryn LOVES that book.”

“So you don’t think it’ll be weird? Having her grow up calling us such bizarre, long names?”

Bela smiled. “Maybe. But so are you.”

Somehow that sent a feeling of warmth flooding through Dean and Cas alike; they looked to each other with soft, warm smiles. “Yes,” Cas said softly. “We are.”

And looking into those green eyes, the love in them, Cas knew he was exactly where he belonged.

 

**~fin~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't help it. XD
> 
> If you look at the last chapter of 'Conquer Over Me', one of my readers on fanfiction.net did a drawing for me of Cas and Dean fighting over the feather, and it's ADORABLE.


	17. Chapter 17

“Pie!”

Dean glanced over his shoulder and smirked. “Told you that’d be one of her favorite words.”

Castiel arched a brow at his husband. “Need I remind you what her _first_ word was?”

Dean colored, quickly answering “no,” and putting the last touches on a blueberry pie. It was April 1, Mary’s first birthday, and both men were determined to celebrate properly.

Cas glanced up at Dean as he put the pie in the oven. “I really don’t know that she’ll be able to eat that.”

“Every book and website I’ve read says she should be starting to eat solid foods,” Dean responded, setting the timer, and Cas felt warmth fill him at how diligently Dean researched all these things. “We’ve been giving her food slightly more solid than usual. Besides, it not like I’m planning to give her the crust or anything.” He sank to the floor beside his husband and daughter. “That’s why I chose blueberry. The berries get nice and soft when cooked. She can probably chew them. And if not, I made sure to have a nice, baby friendly alternative for her.”

More warm butterflies, and Cas leaned in to kiss Dean. “You’re so sweet,” he murmured.

“Two! Two!”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh as Mary reached for him, and he scooped her into his arms. Since he had been so enthusiastic about calling them Thing One and Thing Two, Cas had worked very hard to teach Mary her numbers. She was slowly beginning to catch on to the word “thing” but she had very quickly learned “one” and “two”, and which one each of her fathers was. Clearly she was happy Dean had joined them, grabbing onto him tightly as she happily repeated “Two!”

Dean stroked her soft blonde hair. It was long now, to her shoulders, and it had a very slight curl to it. “Love you, baby girl.”

She looked up at him with her big blue eyes. “Pie?” she inquired. He couldn’t help but laugh. 

“Yes, baby girl. There will be pie.”

Cas chuckled. Of all the words she had learned, “pie” was still her favorite, much to Dean’s delight. He glanced at the clock. “Oh. We’d better get ready. People will be coming in just under an hour.”

Dean smiled. “I know, baby. How do you think I timed the pie?”

Cas glanced into the kitchen, noticing that the pie was set to be ready just before people arrived, so that Dean wouldn’t have to be working during the party. “Wow.” He turned to his husband with a smile. “I’m impressed.”

“Hey.” Dean pouted. “I’m ALWAYS impressive, thank you very much.”

Laughing, Cas rose, offering Dean a hand. “You are,” he said, one hand carding through Dean’s hair, the other stroking Mary’s cheek. “No one has ever impressed me more than you.”

He delighted in the way his words made Dean blush, in the mumbled “hush.”

Cas laughed. “No.” He planted a kiss on Dean’s forehead. “Now go get in the shower, get cleaned up. I’m going to put Mary in her crib and then come join you.”

He could see the heat roll through Dean’s eyes. “Oh?”

Cas chuckled, carefully taking Mary from Dean’s arms. “Yup. And maybe, if we’re really quick, we’ll have time for a little fun.”

Dean was looking at Cas as if he wanted to eat him alive. Cas couldn’t help but laugh; he gave Dean’s backside a swat. “Go, you silly ass!”

A tiny little voice echoed “ass!”

Cas’ eyes widened and Dean burst out laughing. “Hey, I had nothing to do with that one.”

Cas just groaned as he pictured what his brother would say when he heard Mary’s new word. Then Dean’s voice stirred him from his thoughts. “Hurry up or I won’t have time to blow you in the shower.”

Cas had to fight not to run to the nursery, gently placing Mary in her crib. She looked up at him and cheerfully said “ass!” He squeezed his eyes shut. This was not good, and he couldn’t blame this one on Dean.

“Cas,” Dean called, “I’m starting without you!”

_Fuck_. Cas ran so fast he nearly tripped over the rug in the hallway, catching himself on the doorframe. He was walking about as well as Mary, who had only recently begun learning and still couldn’t stand up without assistance. He could hear Dean laughing.

“Don’t hurt yourself,” the blonde chided.

“Shut up.” Cas yanked his shirt off, practically getting it tangled in the process, and tossing it aside. He fumbled with his belt buckle and then tripped again as he kicked his jeans aside.

He could hear Dean laughing. “Dude, what are you DOING out there?”

“Getting naked.” Cas pushed the shower curtain aside, stepping into the shower beside Dean, who was regarding him with some amusement.

“Sounded like you were having some difficulty.”

“I was. Fuck you.” Dean let out a burst of surprised laughter at Cas’ language and the brunette spared a moment to smile, then his eyes darkened; a hand cupped the back of Dean’s head, applying the slightest of pressure. “Now suck me.”

He didn’t know the last time he had seen Dean so shocked but heat flashed across his face, and lust, and he allowed the gentle pressure of Cas’ hand to push him to his knees. Cas was already hard, had been getting there since he first had the idea and once Dean made that teasing comment of starting alone? Yeah, he was done for. He felt Dean’s hand wrap around his cock, that warm breath on his skin, and he shivered. Then a hot tongue was teasing over his flesh, starting at the soft skin of his sack and tracing a slow, hot line up the underside of his cock and he nearly whimpered. “ _Dean_.”

Dean trailed kisses along Cas’ shaft, flicking his tongue over the head, then swallowed him down. Cas’ hands clenched in his hair, his breath catching, and Dean would have been smiling were his mouth not otherwise occupied. After so many years together he’d had plenty of time to learn everything Cas liked, every little thing that drove him wild. It was wonderful.

“Dean.”

Dean looked up at Cas. His cheeks were flushed, eyes hooded, and Dean could see a flash of heat go through them as Cas met his gaze. “Touch yourself,” he ordered. Dean felt his stomach flip-flop, that familiar feeling he always got when Cas gave him orders, and he couldn’t look away. “ _Now_ ,” Cas said, his voice firm, and fuck, Dean’s hand was on his dick before he could think.

“Good boy,” Cas murmured, and Dean whimpered around his mouthful. He could hear Cas’ reaction to that, the way he bit his lip to hold back a whimper of his own. Those graceful fingers were stroking through his hair and now Cas was talking to him, encouraging him. “Such a good boy for me, aren’t you. Look at you, taking my cock. Such a gorgeous mouth.”

Dean couldn’t help another moan and Cas’ hands clenched in his hair; his hips snapped up as he fucked up harder into Dean’s mouth. 

_God_ , that was hot. Dean ran his hands over Cas’ flesh, his thighs, back to cup his ass and pull him even closer, encouraging him to thrust harder. Cas pulled back, surprise on his face.

Dean pulled away. “Do it,” he managed, his voice wrecked. “Fuck my mouth. Come on my face.”

It was Cas’ turn to look shocked, staring down at Dean as if he’d never seen him before. “You…..are you sure?”

Dean knew why Cas was asking….he was worried this would give Dean some sort of Balthazar flashback. But this was nothing like Balthazar. _Cas_ was nothing like Balthazar. He pressed a gentle kiss to one of Castiel’s jutting hipbones, looking up at him with a nod. “I’m positive.”

Cas stared down at Dean a moment longer, trying to judge the truth in those words, then nodded. “Okay.” Then Dean gave his ass a squeeze and he shuddered. “ _Dean_.”

“Come on, baby.” Dean gently licked the head of Cas’ cock. “Show me what you’ve got.”

That did it. Dean opened his mouth wide and Cas was pressing in, letting Dean suck him, those hands on his backside still pulling him in, encouraging him. Dean teasingly dragged his tongue along Cas’ length as he pulled away and Cas could hear his voice, raw and wrecked from having that cock down his throat. ‘Let go…..fuck my mouth.’ It was all too much. That hot heat, Dean’s hand gently cupping and massaging his balls. “Dean….Dean, I’m gonna…”

Dean immediately pulled off. “C’mon, Cas.” He opened his mouth, those plump lips just waiting. That, along with his hand still moving rhythmically between his legs, pushed Cas over the edge and he was coming, painting that gorgeous mouth, that lovely face, with his release.

He saw Dean’s eyes squeeze shut tight, mouth forming an ‘O’ and a shudder running through him as he came as well. Cas dropped to his knees before him, and those green eyes opened. Cas looked at him with concern. “You okay?”

Dean nodded. “More than okay.” He paused. “Is this about Balthazar?” Cas hesitated, finally nodding. “Cas…..yes, Balthazar did this and screwed me up emotionally, but that’s because I didn’t ask him to. You….” He reached out and stroked Cas’ hair, a smile on his face. “I love you. I love you _so much_ , and I wanted to do this with you.”

Cas felt the smile spreading across his face. “I love you too.” He paused, then bit his lip to hold back a grin. “You’ve got a little something….right here.” He gestured to Dean’s face where he had come.

Dean didn’t have to ask to know what Cas meant, and he rolled his eyes. “Ass.” Then he smiled coyly. “You know, you could always clean it up for me.”

Cas smiled and cupped Dean’s cheek, thumb trailing through the mess he’d created, and bringing it back to his mouth for a taste. “Gladly.”

 

**~*~**

 

They had barely finished getting dressed when the first knock came on the door. “I’ll get it.”

Dean took one look at Cas and had to bite back the laughter. Cas’ normally wild thatch of brown hair was still a mess but it was also absolutely sopping wet. “Cas….” He pulled his husband closer.

“What. What is it?” But Cas got no further than that before he had a towel over his head and Dean was roughly toweling his hair dry. “Dean…” His voice was muffled beneath the fabric. “Is this necessary?”

Oh God. Cas was so cute that Dean could barely stand it. “Your hair is soaked, Cas. Yes, it’s necessary.” Satisfied that his husband’s hair was, by this point, dry, Dean stopped toweling and pulled away. But he took one look at Cas and burst into laughter. “OH MY GOD!”

Cas frowned at him, which only made him laugh harder. “What’s so funny.” Still laughing to the point where he could hardly breathe, Dean guided Cas to a mirror. “Oh my God!”

His hair was an absolute mess. It was ALWAYS a mess but right now it was exceptional, standing on end and pointing in every direction imaginable. His gaze in the mirror moved up to meet with Dean’s….Dean, who was still laughing. “You are SUCH a brat.”

“Haa….sorry,” Dean managed. “I just….didn’t think your hair could get any crazier than its everyday state.”

Cas turned, smacking Dean’s shoulder. “Asshole.” Dean just laughed.

“Normally I’d hairspray it so it’d stay this way, but I don’t want to share this glory with others.”

Even though he was being made fun of, the words still filled Cas with warmth, because he knew Dean meant them. For some reason, Dean loved the ridiculous way Cas’ hair stood on end, and that made him feel so good. 

“Well,” he pulled Dean to him, kissing him softly. “Maybe later.”

“Hello?” Bela’s voice drifted down the hallway.

“Oh, shit,” Dean said. He had completely forgotten about the door. Though honestly, he was amazed that Bela and Charlie had knocked at all; generally they just barged right in.

“Oh come on, Bela, what’re you hesitating for?” Ah, that was more like it. Charlie entering loud and brashly.

Dean reached out and gently smoothed Cas’ hair back into its usual tousled state. “Better get going.”

But there Charlie was, shoving her face into the room. “What’s the holdup? You guys having sex in here or what?”

Dean turned to her with a sigh. “If we were, would you want to see it?”

She pulled a face. “No.”

“Then why are you barging in on us?”

There was a pause as Charlie cocked her head, considering. “Fair point.”

“Exactly.” He swatted her shoulder. “Now get out of the way. We’ve got to go get our baby girl ready for the party.”

 

**~*~**

 

The men were getting Mary dressed after Bela and Charlie had arrived, so for a minute Dean was worried the two women were going to witness what had recently become one of Dean’s favorite things: Cas with Mary.

Seriously, simply Cas with Mary. They had read that between eight and twelve months, children need to be talked to more and more. Cas had taken this extremely literally and took to narrating his every activity to Mary, but in a sing-song voice. Every day, Dean would watch in amusement as Cas puttered around the house, looking back and forth between his activities and their daughter in her crib as he spoke-sang “Daddy’s gonna put away the dishes now….” as he did exactly that, moving on to “now he’s gonna take you to your room…”, a constant stream of that speak-singing. Dean _adored_ it. He adored it and he wanted it all to himself, not to share it with Bela and Charlie, no matter how much he loved them. Luckily, they stayed in the living room, and Dean got to watch by himself as Cas changed their daughter into a little blue dress with pale green bloomers, softly singing all the while. “Gonna get you all dressed up for your party…..put a pretty green bow in your hair…..” He realized Dean was watching him, smiling, and he couldn’t help a small smile himself. “You’re laughing at me again, aren’t you.”

Dean chuckled softly. “Little bit, yea.” He came in closer, softly kissing the back of Cas’ neck. “You know I love the way you sing to her.”

Cas hummed happily at the kiss. “You make fun of me.”

“Cuz it’s adorable.”

Cas gave Dean a kiss. “So are you.” He smiled. “Now come on, we’ve got a birthday party to get to.”

 

**~*~**

 

The party had gone wonderfully. They had kept it short so as not to overwhelm Mary, though several of the adults did stay later for a little “after party” of sorts. Charlie and Bela couldn’t, since they had Lauryn, and she also had a limit on how much excitement she could stand.

Lauryn…..

Lauryn had always had a bit of baby envy, as was to be expected with all the attention that Mary got, but now that the tiny blonde was beginning to walk it was even worse. True, Mary couldn't walk on her own, having to hold her fathers' hands, but Lauryn still seemed to take this new development as some kind of threat, watching those unsteady steps through narrowed eyes.

Charlie, of course, had found it absolutely hilarious, despite feeling bad. Bela had swept their daughter into her arms, holding her close, and Lauryn had seemed somewhat placated. It would be interesting when Mary got old enough to walk on her own, and talk, to see if the two girls got along.

Jo wasn’t there, or Sam. None of the family members were. Dean and Cas had thought it best to split things into two parties, friends and family, so as not to overwhelm Mary with too many people. Garth would be there with Jo at the family party. They had been dating so long now. Dean hoped it lasted. They were good together, and Garth treated her like she was a princess, the most perfect thing in the world. Dean never would have thought anyone could deserve his little sister but if anyone did, it was Garth.

Ash and Benny were the last to leave, around 9:30. Honestly Cas was relieved that things had broken up early. There wasn’t MUCH cleanup but he knew Dean would insist on doing it before bed (he hated to let food sit out overnight) and Cas hated to see his husband up late. 

“Hey, Ash.” The man paused halfway to his car, looking inquiringly at them. Dean grinned. “Thanks for not punking our kid.”

Ash nodded. “We have an agreement. Not til she’s five.”

Dean and Cas looked at each other, then back at Ash. “….I have no recollection of this agreement,” Cas said.

“Yeah,” Ash pressed on. “I pointed out her birthday being on April 1st, you said I couldn’t punk her til she was older.”

“Well yea, but we never made an agreement on waiting til she was five. We never made _any_ sort of agreement.”

Ash shrugged. “Thought it was implied.” Dean opened his mouth to speak but Ash raised a hand in farewell. “Later, compadres.” 

The two men watched as Ash drove away; Dean shook his head with amusement. “He is SO weird.” 

“Well, look at it this way: now we know exactly when it’s coming. We have time to prepare.”

Dean laughed. “Good point.” He sighed. “I should go put away the food.”

Cas had known it was coming. “At least there’s not much. Almost all of the lasagna went, and all of the pie.”

At Cas’ mention of the pie, a smug look came over Dean’s face. Cas had been expecting that as well. “Yea. And _who_ ate some of that pie?”

Cas heaved a sigh. “Mary.”

“Damn straight.” Mary couldn’t eat much pie (she was still adapting to solid foods) but she had LOVED the taste. As soon as she got her first taste of the pie her entire face had lit up and she had slapped her palms on the table, demanding “more!” Dean had been thrilled.

Cas rolled his eyes, though he was fighting to suppress a smile. “Yes, Dean, you were right.” He couldn’t maintain the façade of exasperation, leaning in to give Dean a kiss. “Ass.”

Dean laughed. “Yup.” He ran his fingers through that messy brown hair.

“Dean?” The blonde looked questioningly at his husband. “Promise me you won’t stay up late.”

“…..but I have to clean up.”

“You don’t have to do the dishes tonight,” Cas pressed. “Just put the food away; leave the dishes for tomorrow. While you’re doing that I can check on Mary, give her a last change, and then we can go to bed.” 

It was clear that Dean wanted to object but Cas barreled on before he got the chance to. “It may be Mary’s birthday,” and now his voice was soft, a hint of promise in it, “but I have a present for _you_.”

THAT got Dean’s attention. “Oh?”

Cas nodded. “If you leave the dishes for tomorrow, you can have whatever you like tonight.”

Dean was quiet. “Whatever I like, huh.” There were several minutes of silence as he pondered the offer, then he smiled. “I’ll see you in the bedroom in ten minutes.”

Cas felt a wave of happiness; he leaned in to give Dean a quick kiss. “I’ll be waiting for you,” he murmured. “Naked.”

He could hear Dean’s sharp intake of breath. “Make it five.”

Cas laughed all the way to Mary’s room. Yea. He had the best family in the world.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's been so long. The final book in a series that I adore was published and I had a spazz, reread all 8 books that preceded it, then read it. So yea. That's done.
> 
> Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy. Check them out, they're the best.


	18. Chapter 18

“I can’t believe this is happening.”

Cas smiled, though he was feeling a pang of wistful loneliness. “It tends to happen when they get older.”

“Shut up.” Dean looked at the crowd of children and parents gathered outside the nursery school. In a few minutes, Mary would be joining them. At two years old, Mary would be leaving her parents for the first real time. For any length of time, that is. She’d had sleepovers with her uncle Sam, and grandparents Ellen and Bobby, Chuck, and even uncle Gabriel (despite the reservations Dean and Cas had had about THAT one). She had taken to the separation from her parents incredibly well, so they assumed she’d do just fine being away a couple hours each day at nursery school. It didn’t mean THEY had to be okay with it.

Dean glanced at Cas and did a double-take. Cas was clearly just as affected as he was, the look in those big blue eyes proved that. Dean reached out and carded his fingers through those messy locks. Cas looked at him with surprise; Dean smiled softly. “She’ll be okay.”

Cas smiled, nodding. “Yeah. She will.” He leaned down so he was on level with his daughter. “You’ll be fine, right baby girl?”

Mary looked up at him, the expression on her face clearly stating that she had no idea what all the fuss was about. “Uh huh.”

Cas couldn’t help but laugh at the look in those blue eyes, that expression of complete “duh.” For such a little girl, she was incredibly sarcastic.

Dean looked at him, brows raised curiously. “What?”

“For a two year old, she’s awfully sassy.” Cas smiled. “Think I know who she gets THAT from.”

Dean laughed. “Why Castiel Winchester, what exactly are you implying?”

“That you’re a sarcastic bastard.”

“Thing Two’s a bastard!” Mary sounded immensely happy to join in the fun. Cas’ eyes went huge in horror. He crouched in front of Mary.

“Okay, baby, we need to get one thing straight.” Mary waited for him to continue. “No swearing today, okay?” They had covered swearing as she got older, explaining that ‘ass’ and ‘fuck’ were NOT good words to use, and she had caught on quickly. “So no saying fuck, or ass, or even bastard. That one’s not a swear but it’s still not good. You understand?”

Mary nodded solemnly. “Understood.”

Cas kissed her forehead. “Good.”

Dean bit his lip to suppress his laughter. Only they would have to give their daughter a talk like this on her first day of nursery school. Only them. And he LOVED it. They had the most wonderfully unusual family, and he wouldn’t change a thing about it.

The teacher appeared on the front steps of the building, calling out to announce school beginning. Dean’s head whipped around so fast it hurt, staring at Cas with wide eyes. He didn’t want to let Mary go. Bending down, he picked her up in his arms and gave her a kiss. “You have fun today, baby girl,” he said softly. She nodded. “Promise?”

“I promise.” Then she threw her arms around him and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. Cas could see Dean’s eyes widen and grow glassy. His voice was gruff as he set her down on the ground and said “get on out of here,” giving her butt a little swat. Giving her parents a huge smile, she turned and ran, blonde curls flying behind her.

The crowd was dispersing now as the children vanished into the building. Cas could feel a pang of sadness. Their little girl was getting so old. But one look at Dean stopped him in his tracks. 

Tears were streaming down Dean’s face, unchecked, and it was easy to understand why. Dean spent most every day at home with Mary. It was going to be so very different with her gone.

Cas gently stroked his husband’s shoulder and Dean looked to him, green eyes filled with such sadness that it broke Cas’ heart. He immediately pulled Dean into his arms, hugging him as tightly as possible. “It’s going to be okay, Dean,” he said softly.

“I know.” Dean’s voice was muffled against Castiel’s shoulder. “I just can’t imagine being home every day without her.”

Cas smiled, stroking Dean’s hair. “You’ll get used to it. You will.”

“Yea. It just…..it’ll be hard.”

“I know.” Cas pulled back to gently kiss his husband. “You’ll make it.” Dean managed a watery smile; Cas brushed away a tear with his thumb. “Hey. Let’s go get some ice cream.”

That startled a laugh out of Dean. “Ice cream, huh.”

Cas nodded. “Ice cream.”

Dean smiled. “Sounds like a plan.” He linked his fingers with Cas’, lifting both hands so he could kiss the soft skin on the back of Cas’ hand. “Lead the way, babe.”

 

**~*~**

 

Luckily the school day wasn’t that long. Cas didn’t know that Dean could have handled a full school day. The ice cream had been a good idea, though, had gotten Dean’s mind off things for a little while. Dean had relaxed and let himself enjoy the sunny afternoon, and Cas had taken in the lovely sight of Dean’s pink tongue licking at his strawberry cone.

Dean noticed Cas watching him. “What,” he asked. “What is it.”

Cas didn’t answer verbally, simply leaned in and licked his way into Dean’s mouth, tasting the cold strawberry ice cream. When he pulled away, Dean was looking at him with wide eyes. Cas smiled. “Couldn’t help myself.”

There was a small burst of laughter. “Trust me, I’m not gonna complain.”

“Good.” Cas gave Dean another kiss. “Finish your cone and let’s go get our baby girl.”

Dean shoved the rest of his cone in his mouth, his entire face immediately squinching up as he got brain freeze. “GUH!”

Cas burst into laughter. “Serves you right, ass.” He ran his fingers affectionately through his husband’s hair. “Eat slower.”

Dean shook his head, whether to shake away the brain freeze or Cas’ words, Cas didn’t know. “Wanna get to the school, pick up Mary.”

Cas shook his head as well, a soft smile on his face. “You are so damn cute.” He took Dean’s hand in his. “Well come on then. Let’s go get our little girl.”

 

**~*~**

 

Mary ran out the door and right into Dean’s arms. He swept her up and spun her in a circle, kissing her on the cheek. “Oh, how’s my gorgeous girl?”

“Good!” Mary gave Dean a kiss, then turned and waved a paper in Cas’ direction. “Thing One!” 

Cas took the offered paper, looking it over. It was a drawing. When Mary had started developing motor skills, she had taken to crayons like it was a second nature. As an artist, Cas had been delighted. She was incredibly talented for a child, definitely at least a year ahead of where she should be. This drawing, for example. It was a butterfly, its wings full and glorious, a lovely mix of blue and green.

“It’s gorgeous, Mary!” 

The girl beamed at her father’s praise. She pointed to the colors, the green and blue, then the one tiny finger pointed at Cas’ big blue eyes. “Eyes.” Cas stared at her in surprise. She pointed at the green on the drawing, then at Dean. “Eyes.”

Cas looked at Mary with wide eyes. He couldn’t believe she had thought to draw something like that, to color the butterfly to match their eyes. He looked up at Dean in surprise. His husband looked to be much in the same state as he was, eyes round with surprise. Mary was smiling, clearly pleased with their reactions. Dean swallowed and he sounded somewhat choked up, but he was smiling as he stroked back Mary’s hair.

“Come on, baby girl. You want ice cream?”

Those blue eyes lit up. “Yeah!”

Cas felt a wave of amusement. “Dean, you already HAD ice cream today.”

“Yea, but MARY didn’t.”

“Oh, so you’re not going to have any?”

Dean shifted Mary in his arms, a grin on his face. “Didn’t say that, now did I?”

Cas shook his head, an amused smile on his face. “Okay, then. Lead the way, Thing Two.”

 

**~*~**

 

As Mary had gotten older it had become more and more difficult to find time for sex, so sleepovers with Sam or the grandparents made for a great chance at intimacy. Tonight Mary was staying with Sam and the two men were making the most of the occasion. 

Dean lay on the bed, skin completely bare. His hands clutched at the sheets in attempt to ground himself, back arching in sensation as Cas’ mouth wrapped hot and teasing around his cock. “ _Cas_ ….”

Cas’ only response was to let out a teasing hum, the noise vibrating around Dean’s shaft. Dean’s head tipped back and he let out a long, low moan. “Oh, fuck, _Cas_.”

“You like that, huh Dean.”

“You’re Goddamn right I do.” 

Cas chuckled at Dean’s response, tongue flicking out over the head of Dean’s cock to taste the precum there. “Taste so good, baby,” he murmured.

“Goddammit, Cas, don’t tease me.” Dean’s hands were a gentle but insistent pressure on the back of Cas’ head, pushing him down. Cas obliged, mouth opening to take Dean in all the way, hot mouth enveloping Dean’s cock.

It was then that the phone rang. Dean let out a groan of frustration. “This is not fucking _happening_.”

Cas pulled away long enough to say “answer it.”

“But—“ but Dean got no further before Cas was continuing.

“Answer it. I’m not stopping.”

Dean felt a thrill of heat rolling through him. This was so wrong but there was something so sexy about it. His hand fumbled for his phone and he picked it up. “Hello?”

“DEAN!” 

Oh God. It was Sam. That made this even MORE wrong, talking to his brother while Cas’ mouth was on his _FUCK there_ it was, Cas’ mouth was swallowing him down and it was everything he could do to bite back his gasp. “H..hey, Sammy.”

He could hear as well as feel Cas chuckle when he heard the name, heard who it was Dean was talking to. 

“DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR DAUGHTER DID???”

Dean felt a wave of amusement roll through him. “No, but judging from your tone of voice I’m betting it’s good.” Cas did some kind of _THING_ with his tongue and Dean muttered under his breath “ _DAMN_ , Cas.” Cas looked up at him with a smirk in his eyes and he felt heat tugging low in his stomach.

“I fell asleep on the couch and I woke up to her tapping me. Opened my eyes and there was a clown in my face. A CLOWN. Your daughter drew a CLOWN and shoved it in my FACE!”

For a moment the words didn’t register and then Dean burst into laughter. Cas arched a brow at him, obviously curious about what made Dean laugh, but it certainly wasn’t stopping him from sucking Dean’s cock.

“This isn’t funny, Dean.” From the sound of Sam’s voice, Dean would bet good money that he had one huge bitchface on.

“Yea, well serves you right for falling asleep.”

THAT got Cas’ attention and he pulled off of Dean’s cock, eliciting a whimper. “HE FELL ASLEEP??? He fell ASLEEP while watching our DAUGHTER???”

Dean nodded. “Yea. And Mary drew a clown and shoved it in his face.”

Cas stared for a matter of seconds before he burst into laughter just as Dean had. He knew about Sam’s fear of clowns. Also, Mary was such a good artist that the drawing HAD to be good. “Tell him to send it home with her.”

“Sammy? Make sure and send the drawing home with her.”

“Uh…” Sam’s voice was hesitant. “It may have been accidentally destroyed…..violently.”

Dean’s eyes narrowed. “You didn’t make our daughter cry, did you?” He didn’t want Mary upset by her drawing getting ruined.

“No. She was too busy laughing at my reaction.”

The image of Sam flailing and attacking the clown as he screamed like a girl really was hilarious and Dean snorted. “Yea I bet.”

Sam’s voice was resigned to his brother’s mockery. “Yeah yeah. Shut up and get back to your two-day sex-a-thon.” Dean could hear the smug smile in his brother’s voice. “I know that’s what you’re doing. No other meaning for ‘personal time’.”

“Shut up, bitch.” Cas was watching with amusement. Clearly he could hear Sam now that he was no longer otherwise occupied with Dean’s cock. “And no more falling asleep while you’re supposed to be watching our daughter.”

“Promise.” The phone clicked as Sam hung up.

Dean looked to Cas, to the amused smirk there. “What.”

“Sex-a-thon?”

Dean smiled. “Apparently.”

Cas mirrored the look. “Well.” And his hand wrapped around Dean’s still-hard cock, wringing a gasp out of the man. “I say we get back to it.”

Dean could feel the heat filling him, arousal flushing his cheeks. “With pleasure.”

 

**~*~**

 

This would be the first Christmas where Mary had at least somewhat of a clue what was going on, and she was ecstatic. More about the wrapping paper than the presents, but she was still excited, and that was all that mattered.

She was showered with gifts from friends and family alike. Dean and Cas still couldn’t believe how loved their daughter was. Lauryn even seemed to be warming to Mary as she got older. The baby envy was dissipating, and it looked as if they were going to be good friends.

Two days after Christmas, Sarah came to visit. She was home for Christmas break from William & Mary and Dean and Cas had insisted she stop by and visit. It didn’t hurt that Sam would be stopping by as well, this time sans Amelia. The two had broken up midway through the year, and good riddance. 

But the way Sam and Sarah had looked at each other when they first set eyes upon each other….Dean’s heart warmed. He made Sarah some hot chocolate and then retreated to the kitchen with Cas, leaving the two alone. 

When he took a peek into the living room, he found them sitting so close together on the sofa that Sarah was practically in Sam's lap, their heads together as they talked softly. Both were smiling. Sam looked happier than Dean had seen him in a long, long time.

It was almost 11 by the time Sarah left, and Dean and Cas finally rejoined the two to say goodbye. The girl waved as she got into her car, and they watched as she pulled away.

They were all silent for several moments. Finally Sam spoke up. “Hey Dean?”

“Yea?”

Sam turned to his brother, a smile on his face. “Thanks for meddling in my life.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “No problem.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the hiatus didn't last too long, huh? It still may be a bit long until the next chapter because as I said, I'm not going to be rushing to get them done, but hopefully it won't be super long.
> 
> I hope it was worth the wait! I love you all! Especially those who review. :P <3


	19. La Vie en Rose

“Hold still, little girl.” Cas gently set a wreath of tiny rosebuds atop Mary’s head. She smiled up at him, blonde hair carefully curled. He was positive it wouldn’t last long. She had her father Dean’s energy and spunk; her hair never stayed neat very long.

“Now, you remember what you’re supposed to do?”

Mary nodded. She looked adorable in her pale green satin gown with its tiny matching slippers. The basket in her hands held pale pink rose petals the same color as those in her hair. Bridesmaids were milling about the two of them, making last minute adjustments to dresses and hair.

 

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/flowergirl_zpsjrn1dd7k.jpg.html)

 

Cas tucked a stray lock of hair behind Mary’s ear and rose, taking her tiny hand in his. His eyes scanned the crowd, looking at all the women. There was Jessica, Sarah’s maid of honor. Then….he did a double take. Rachel Garrison, a girl that Sarah knew from college and the one Castiel would be walking down the aisle after the ceremony, was looking at him like she wanted to eat him alive. She DID know he was married, right?

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/bridesmaid_zps0pg0upas.jpg.html)

“Hey, Cas.”

Cas looked at Jessica, who was smiling at him. He smiled back. “Hello, Jessica.”

“Jess,” she corrected. “The ceremony is going to start soon. You should probably be going up front.”

“Oh! Right.” He’d been so occupied with watching Mary that he’d forgotten. “Can you take care of her? Watch her till it’s time for her to do her flowers?”

“Of course I can.” Jess leaned down and offered her hand to Mary. The four year old beamed and took Jess’ hand. Cas couldn’t help but laugh.

“Well, looks like I’m not needed here.” He leaned down and gave Mary a kiss on the forehead. “Now, what are we going to do, baby girl?”

“Drop the pettles.”

“How are we going to drop them?”

“Carefully. Not too many at once.”

Cas smiled. “Exactly.” He gave her one more kiss and whispered “I’ll see you in a little while, baby girl,” and headed off to find the rest of the groomsmen.

Dean and Sam were a hallway away, just to the side of the alter. Dean was there with his brother and the one other groomsman, Barry. The man looked like he wanted to be anywhere but there. Cas didn’t know the man that well but he had a brief recollection of the boy from high school, when he was a gawky kid wearing glasses two sizes too large for him. Now he had contacts and he had grown into those ears of his. He actually wasn’t a bad looking man, all things considered. The organist, a middle aged woman with a bee-hive hairdo, was giving him a flirtatious smile, and if the terrified look on his face was any indication, he had noticed.

Cas bit back a laugh but clearly he wasn’t that successful, for Dean turned at the noise, and his face lit up when he saw Castiel. “Cas.”

Cas leaned in and gave Dean a soft kiss. “How’s he holding up,” he asked quietly, nodding in Sam’s direction.

Dean bit his lip to hold back a laugh. “Nervous as hell.” He looked fondly at his brother, who had a barely suppressed look of panic on his face. “Hey.” At the sound of Dean’s voice, Sam turned with a start. “Chill.”

“I can’t. God. How were you so calm on YOUR wedding day?”

Dean looked at Cas, the softest smile on his face, eyes full of love. “Cuz I knew he was there, waiting for me.” Cas smiled, remembering the day as if it were yesterday. Clearly Dean did as well. “When I walked out that door, he was going to be there, waiting. And Sarah will be waiting for you.”

As Dean spoke, the nerves slowly vanished from Sam’s face, all the tension easing from his body. He smiled. “Thanks, Dean.”

Dean patted his shoulder. “No need, Sammy. Everything is gonna be perfect. You’ll see.”

The priest poked his head through the door. “Gentlemen? It’s time.”

Sam’s head whipped around and he stared at Dean with wild eyes. Dean couldn’t help a chuckle, patting his brother on the shoulder once again. “Sarah,” he repeated. “Think about Sarah.”

Sam’s face relaxed and he smiled. “Thanks, Dean,” he whispered. And with that they headed through the door and out into the chapel.

_Canon in D_ was playing softly as Sam stood there with his three groomsmen. Sarah’s mother entered the room, a slight flush on her cheeks as she moved alone to her seat. She was quickly followed by Bobby and Ellen. Dean smiled as he saw the tears in Ellen’s eyes. She wasn’t going to last long.

But he himself almost couldn’t handle it next when his little girl entered. She looked like an angel in her pale green gown, hair in loose curls around her face. Her chubby little fists grabbed handfuls of pink petals and carefully dropped them on the carpet; after a moment she looked up, blue eyes seeking out Cas with a questioning look as if to ask if she was doing it right. He chuckled and nodded. Reassured, she continued on her way and she was absolutely perfect, the petals lasting until she reached the end of the carpet. She was probably supposed to stand on the opposite side from the men, where the bridesmaids were going to stand, but instead she ran right over to her dads. There were titters from the audience and Sam reached over and stroked her hair. She looked up at him with a smile. “Good job,” he whispered. Her smile grew, practically blinding.

Dean gave his brother a nudge. “Hey,” he hissed. “You’re missing your own wedding.”

That caught Sam’s attention and he looked up. Rachel was already halfway down the aisle. Her eyes were zeroed in on Cas. Sam was completely oblivious, too focused on what was to come. Dean’s brow furrowed, looking from Rachel to Cas. Cas discreetly took Dean’s hand and gave it a gentle, reassuring squeeze before letting go. But Dean wasn’t really worried. He smiled. He wasn’t going to let some stupid girl ruin his brother’s wedding for him. 

Jessica was now moving down the aisle, smiling at Sam, who had Mary clinging to his pant leg. He smiled back at her, cheeks beginning to flush. Clearly the nerves were returning as the moment got closer.

Jessica took her place beside Rachel on the opposite side of the alter and that was it. That was everyone. The music changed to a violin instrumental of Train’s _'Marry Me'_ and Sam’s breath caught. Dean could practically hear Sam’s heartbeat. He put a reassuring hand on his brother’s lower back. “It’s okay,” he said softly. “Here she comes.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6iOqxvF3aL8

And there she was: Sarah, on the arm of her father. Dean had only met Mr. Blake a couple times but he hadn’t liked the man much. Still, that didn’t matter. Sarah was amazing and she and Sam were perfect together. That was the only thing that mattered. And Sarah looked gorgeous.

Her chestnut brown hair was in an elegant upsweep, a few tendrils hanging loose about her face, and the gown….it was beyond beautiful. Sexy and yet tasteful, the top lacy with cap sleeves, a long flowing skirt, and a cinch at the waist tied in a bow at her back. But Dean couldn’t keep his attention on her. Not with his little brother standing beside him with that expression on his face. His eyes glassy with tears, looking at Sarah as if she were his entire world. Looking at her the same way Cas looked at him. That expression of pure love and adoration.

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/sarah%202_zpsqkyxmhlz.jpg.html)

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/sarah%203_zpsvovaahcf.jpg.html)

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/sarah%201_zpsj0xm46fe.jpg.html)

 

Dean could feel his own eyes beginning to burn, tears wanting to fall. Then he felt a hand slip into his own, Cas giving a gentle, reassuring squeeze. He had the best husband ever, giving silent reassurement right now. He didn’t want to cry at his own brother’s wedding. He could cry AFTER.

He watched as Mr. Blake kissed Sarah’s cheek and gave her hand to Sam, watched the love in the pair’s eyes as they exchanged their vows. Somehow he managed not to screw up handing over the rings. Sam smiled and gave Dean’s hand a squeeze, a silent, secret hug.

When Sam and Sarah kissed, Dean couldn’t help it any longer; the tears fell. He brushed them back as discreetly as possible and waited for the two to head down the aisle. Instead Sam turned and pulled Dean into a crushing hug. He was initially too surprised to do a thing but then his arms came up, hugging Sam just as tightly back for just a moment before giving him a gentle shove. “Go.” His voice was gruff. “Get your wife.”

Sam laughed. “You better hurry your ass right behind us. We’ve got photos to take.” Then, beaming, he took Sarah’s hand and headed down the aisle. Dean watched him go, a smile on his face. Then Cas’ hand slipped into his and he turned, looking into the smiling blue eyes of his husband. He smiled back, leaning in to give Cas a soft kiss. 

“Let’s get out of here,” he murmured. “I think we’ve got some photos to take.”

Cas nodded his agreement, looking down at Mary. “You were very well behaved, baby girl.” Mary beamed. “Just gotta be good a little while longer, okay? Keep it toned down while we take some photos. Then we’ll be at the reception and you can let it out a little.”

Mary nodded. “Okay.”

Dean realized that they were taking too long. “Oh. I think we’re supposed to be escorting the ladies.”

“Oh!” Cas flushed. “I think so.” He did NOT want to go near Rachel but he supposed he had to.

Dean smiled at him. “See you at the end of the aisle, gorgeous.” And with that he was gone, taking Jessica’s arm.

Cas watched him go with a smile. He politely took Rachel's arm but didn’t pay her any mind, his attention on Mary, whose tiny hand was in his, and on his husband who walked before him. 

 

**~*~**

 

The photos didn’t take too long, thank God. Dean was no good at that sort of thing. His wedding photos with Cas were a complete disaster, though that wasn’t due so much to his lack of patience as to the fact that neither man could keep his hands off the other. It had taken Sam and Bobby to get Dean’s attention and a scolding from Ellen before he would hold still for some formal pictures. But for Sam? For Sam he could behave. And it worked out. The photos went quickly and Sam’s smile was worth any amount of posturing.

Still, it had nothing on the smile on Sam’s face when he had Sarah in his arms, _‘La Vie en Rose’_ playing. Dean could feel his eyes filling with tears once again. He had always known he would see this day but he still wasn’t prepared for it. He wasn’t prepared to watch Sam dance with Ellen, either. Basically, he hadn’t been prepared for Sam’s wedding at all.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ba_WoSZXvw

When the dances were done, he felt a tiny tug on his pantsleg. He looked down at Mary. Her face was worried. He immediately scooped her into his arms. “What’s wrong, baby girl.”

Mary patted his face, the tears there. “Two is sad?”

Dean couldn’t help but smile, giving a shake of the head. “No, baby girl. I’m happy.” Her face lit up and he chuckled, kissing her lightly on the forehead. “Love you, Mary.”

He sat down with Mary in his lap, Cas settling into the chair beside him. “You ready for your speech?”

Dean groaned. “No.” This was the second best man speech he had to give, after Bobby. He hated having all eyes on him, and speeches were never his forte. He was a good writer, but he didn’t trust himself when it came to personal things like this.

The big moment came up all too soon, Jess finishing the maid of honor speech, and Dean rose to his feet. Immediately he had everyone’s attention. He cleared his throat nervously. “Sammy.” Immediately he winced inwardly, not sure whether Sam would hate him for that, but Sam only smiled, and he relaxed. “Ever since the day you were born, you’ve always been my responsibility. I had to look after you when no one else would. “He could see the sadness in the smile on Sam’s face. “And as we got older, you more than repaid the favor, taking care of me even when I didn’t want you to. Showing up at my house with vegetables and all kinds of green stuff, dragging me to farmers markets….” Sam was laughing now. “But you’re good for me. You’ve more than made up for everything I ever did for you. And I like to think I’ve been good for you. Making you relax and take some time for yourself once in a while.” Sam was smiling, clearly thinking of hours spent with Dean, drinking beers as they watched ‘the Avengers’ and marathoned _‘Breaking Bad’_. “Now, I know I can’t compete with a foxy lady like Sarah…” there was a titter of laughter around the room. “But I also know that once I get ditched for your wife, she’ll do a damn good job taking over for me, making sure you take some time out and get in your pop culture knowledge.”

Dean turned his attention to his new sister-in-law. “And Sarah.” She smiled at him, waiting to see if she would be torn apart or teased in anyway. “I’d tell you that I’m looking forward to having you as a sister, but truth be told, you’ve been a sister to me for a long time.” Sarah’s face softened, eyes full of emotion, so touched. “And I can’t tell you how happy I am that now its official. I’ve known since high school that the two of you are meant to be. There were some bobbles but it finally happened, and no one could be more perfect for each other.” He raised his glass. “To Sam and Sarah.”

Both Sam and Sarah looked on the verge of tears, though no one but Dean would be able to tell with Sam. After all these years he knew his brother, knew every single emotion, and he knew when he was crying. He smiled at Sam, raising his glass in a toast, and Sam reciprocated.

Cas smiled at his husband as Dean sat down. “Not so bad, was it?”

“Not as bad as the first time, no.” Dean pulled Mary into his lap. She sat there while they ate dinner, eating from his fork or fingers. Cas watched them both with a smile. The two were just too cute for words.

Then the dancing started. “Two!” Mary demanded. Dean laughed.

“You wanna dance, baby girl?” She nodded enthusiastically. “Okay, then. We’ll dance.” He lifted Mary from his lap and set her on the floor, looking to Cas. “I’m gonna give this one a dance. Then I’m coming back here and getting a dance from YOU.”

Cas chuckled. “I look forward to it.” He watched as Dean led Mary out onto the dance floor. _‘Footloose’_ was playing and Dean was bent nearly in half so he could dance with Mary, her hands in his as they moved, as he twirled her in circles. After a minute he swept her into his arms and held her close as he began doing his best impression of the actual dance from the movie. Mary burst into giggles, clinging to her father’s shirt as she was bounced up and down in his arms. Cas shook his head as he watched them, a grin on his face. He still couldn’t believe he was lucky enough to have such a husband and daughter.

The song ended and the first notes of a slow song began. _‘At Last’_ by Etta James. Cas sat up straighter in his chair, eyes on Dean. Dean was laughing along with Mary, shifting the girl in his arms as he made his way through the crowd. Cas hoped he got back soon. He wanted to slow dance with Dean.

“Hello.”

Cas looked up and there was Rachel. _Oh no_. “Hello,” he said politely.

“I’ve been watching you all day.” There was something almost seductive to her voice. He sighed internally.

“I’ve noticed.”

She laughed, clearly not noticing his frustration. “I was wondering if you would dance with me?” 

Cas hesitated, trying to think of the most polite way to decline. This woman may be annoying but that didn’t mean he wanted to be rude. She seemed to take his hesitation as consent for her hand was suddenly on his and he froze, but then he felt a pair of hands on his shoulders.

“Sorry, miss.” Cas looked up to see Dean standing behind him, a smile on his face. Then a tiny hand grabbed onto his pantleg. Mary. Dean’s hands caressed Cas’ shoulders, an act that did not go unnoticed by Rachel. “But this dance is mine.” His smile turned somewhat smug. “The whole man is, actually. So I’d highly appreciate it if you backed off.” Seemingly done with Rachel, he leaned in and kissed Cas’ cheek, then stroked Mary’s hair. “Mary, go sit with grandma and grandpa, okay?” Mary nodded and ran around the table to join Bobby and Ellen. Dean stepped around Cas’ chair so he was facing the man and offered a hand with a smile. “May I have this dance?”

Cas took Dean’s hand, smiling as he rose to his feet. “I’d be delighted.” Rachel completely forgotten, he followed Dean out on the floor, immediately slipping into his arms. The song was halfway over by now but he didn’t care. There would be other songs and next time, they would be uninterrupted. 

Dean kissed his temple. “Knew that bitch was gonna make a move on you,” he murmured. “Too sexy for your own good.”

Cas laughed. “You’re ridiculous.”

“Am not.” Dean ran his fingers through Cas’ messy hair. “Can’t wait till we get out of here later…..get you out of that tux.”

The words sent a shiver down Cas’ spine. “Me neither.”

“In the meantime,” Dean glanced at the table. “…it looks like they’re about to cut the cake.”

“Oh!” Cas perked up. 

“Yup.” Dean paused, then grinned. “Still be better if it were pie.”

Cas laughed. “Well, we can’t have everything.” He took Dean’s hand, looking towards the table where Mary was bouncing in Bobby’s lap. Clearly someone had mentioned the word “cake” to her. Dean shook his head.

“She’s gonna be impossible tonight.”

“Oh yeah.” Cas grinned. “Thank God she’s staying with your parents.”

“I know. If we’d said yes to Gabriel like he wanted, she would have died from complete sugar overload. Can’t imagine how much candy he would have fed her on top of the cake.”

“Dear God, yes.”

Dean chuckled. “C’mon, babe. Let’s go eat pie’s lesser younger brother.”

With a laugh Cas tugged Dean back to where the rest of the family was waiting, sitting down to enjoy the rest of the night.

 

**~*~**

 

The door slammed shut and Dean flopped back against it, giggling as Cas pinned him to against the hard wood. His cheeks were flushed from more than just the alcohol he’d imbibed that night. Cas’ face was mere inches away as he smiled at his husband. “What’s so funny.”

Dean just shook his head, having no answer. He always got giggly when he was happy or drunk, and right now he was a little of the latter and a hell of a lot of the former. “Nothing.” He tangled his hands in Cas’ hair. “Kiss me?”

Cas smiled, leaning in. “Always.” Mary was with Ellen and Bobby tonight….a nice sleepover to give the boys some time alone. They had taken a room at the hotel where the reception had been held. It was lovely, decorated in cream and pale blue and with a bed even bigger than the one they had at home. It was towards this bed that Dean was currently dragging him. Then Dean gave him a little spin and shoved him onto the bed, falling down on top of him.

“Oof.” Cas chuckled, wrapping his arms around Dean. “Someone’s feeling forceful tonight.” A thought occurred to him and he raised his brows. “Is this about Rachel?”

“Hell yea it’s about Rachel.” Dean nuzzled Cas’ throat. “Saw her eyeing you all day.”

Cas couldn’t help but smile even as he stretched his neck to give Dean better access, back arching at the feeling. “Bet that drove you crazy, huh.”

Dean pulled back so he could look Cas in the eye. “You’re damn right it did, you smug little shit.” Cas laughed breathlessly. Dean shook his head, smiling affectionately down at his husband. “Pain in the ass.”

“Yup. And you love me.”

“I totally do.” He gently nipped the flesh of Cas’ throat, reveling in the tiny ‘eep’ Cas made in response. He chuckled. “Oh, the things I’m going to do to you.”

Cas could feel the flush run all the way through him, heat flooding his body. “Yeah?” He stroked Dean’s hair, loving the soft feeling of the short, fuzzy hair on the back of his head brushing against his palm. He smiled up at Dean. “Show me.”

He could see the heat roll through Dean’s candy apple eyes and then Dean was pressing him into the mattress, kissing him slow and deep, and neither man left each other’s side for the rest of the long, lovely night.

 

**~tbc~**


	20. Chapter 20

“Dee!”

Dean laughed as little Jared ran towards him and flung his tiny body forwards, wrapping his arms around Dean’s legs. “Hey there, kiddo.” Jared was three years old that day. Dean had helped Sarah plan the party. It had brought Cas back to high school and watching Dean decorate for prom. The thought made him smile.

Speaking of Sarah….she came forward with a smile on her face. “Hello, Dean. Cas.”

Cas returned the smile. “Hey, Sarah.” Her eyes lit up when she saw what was in his hands.

“You brought the cake!”

He laughed. “Baked by Dean and decorated by me.”

Sarah leaned in to take the cake from him, simultaneously pecking him on the cheek. “Thank you. You two are wonderful.” She looked down and smiled. “Hey, Mary.”

Mary was tall for her seven years, head up to Cas’ chest. She gave a little wave. “Hi, aunt Sarah.”

Sarah tucked a stray lock of blonde hair behind Mary’s ear. “Lauryn is in the backyard.” Mary’s eyes immediately lit up and she took off like a shot. Her fathers laughed.

“Well, THAT’LL keep her occupied for a while.” Dean raised his brows. “Need any help in the kitchen?”

Sarah shook her head. “I’m sure your brother would appreciate some company.”

Dean waved a dismissive hand. “Tch, let him wait. I can help.”

Sarah laughed. “In that case, sure. I’d love some help.”

Dean smiled. “Lead the way.”

 

**~*~**

 

Dean watched his nephew digging into the cake he’d baked. And by digging in, it was fairly literal. The kid was making a mess, chocolate smeared all over his face. It was both horrifying and hilarious, and also cute as hell. It reminded Dean of when Mary was little, equally so when he tore into his gifts. 

Sam and Sarah were gathered behind the little boy, laughing. He was far more interested in the wrapping paper than the presents. Sarah had to pull the gifts out and show them to him before he took notice. It made Dean chuckle. .

“What.” Dean looked to his husband. Cas was smiling at him. “What’s so funny.”

Dean shook his head. “Nothing. Jared just reminds me of Mary when she was little.” It made him a little wistful. Mary wasn’t that old yet but he still missed those days, that loud exuberance. He watched Jared with his parents, Sarah and Sam, the perfect mom and dad. “….hey.” Cas looked inquisitively at him. “Would you ever want that?” He gestured to the picture before them. "The wife, traditional career, heading on towards 2.5 kids?" Though he knew the answer before he heard it, a laugh bubbling forth from Cas' lips. 

"Dean..." Cas shook his head. "No." The answer was adamant. "First of all, wife? Are you KIDDING me? I told you when we first started dating, I'm Dean-centric." Dean couldn't help but laugh at the remembered words. Cas smiled as he stroked his husband's cheek. "Ever since I met you it's only been you. It could never be anyone else."

Dean melted; he tried to force himself under control but still couldn't help giving Cas a long, soft kiss. Pulling away, he rested his forehead against Cas'. "Secondly?"

"Secondly, does ANYTHING about me scream 'traditional'?"

Dean had to laugh because Cas was right. There was nothing traditional about either of them. He shook his head. “No.”

Cas chuckled. “Glad we agree.” He stepped closer, their bodies now almost pressed together. "And lastly..." Cas smiled, hands running down Dean's chest. "Who says we can't have 2.5 kids?"

Dean felt his heart skip a beat, begin pounding. “I….” Cas was watching him expectantly, waiting, and there was anxiousness behind that smile. Now he was biting his lip as he waited for Dean’s answer. But he needn’t have worried. Dean’s face was lighting up; smiling in hopeful excitement. “Really? You want to….. _really?_ ”

Cas nodded, his smile relaxing, and then Dean was on him, kissing him. He laughed into Dean’s mouth at the happy forcefulness of the kiss. “I take it you want to as well?”

Dean pulled away, nodding fervently. “Hell yea I do!” The two of them had never really talked about more children. Sure, the odd comment here and there, but they had never sat down and discussed the topic. Not since before they’d gotten Mary and they had talked about the general idea of having more than one child. But never since then had they discussed having another child. And now…..now it looked as though they were going to. 

Dean couldn’t help but kiss Cas again, so ridiculously happy. They were interrupted by Sam hollering “hey!” The two men broke apart, turning to look at the man. “No making out at my kid’s birthday party.”

Dean’s instinct was to give his brother the finger but that would not be appropriate at a three year old’s party. He couldn’t even manage to throw a glower his brother’s way, he was just too damn happy.

Cas looked at his husband, taking it all in. Dean was positively radiant, face and eyes aglow with joy. Cas couldn’t help kissing him again. Dean pressed closer, hands fisting in Cas’ soft hair, nipping at his lower lip. He pulled away with a smile.

"So," he said, looking from his brother and Sarah, the little boy opening his presents, back to his husband, "no apple pie life?"

Cas chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah." Then he paused as if a thought had occurred to him, head tilting in that way Dean loved, and he smiled. "Maybe a bumbleberry one?"

Dean stared at Castiel, his Castiel, this beautiful, quirky, wonderful man who had somehow fallen in love with him. The man who married him and with who he was raising their perfect little girl. He looked at Cas, at that smile, and he couldn’t help the laughter that flowed free. He leaned his forehead against Cas’, their faces mere inches apart. “Bumbleberry, huh.”

Cas smiled, his nod making Dean’s head nod with his. “Yup.”

“Well,” Dean gently tucked a lock of messy brown hair behind Cas’ ear, the smile as clear in his voice as it was on his face. “I think I can live with that.”

 

**~*~**

 

The door slammed shut behind them. Cas let Dean drag him inside, pulling him towards their bedroom, towards the bed. He laughed. “Someone’s feeling demanding tonight.”

“Shut up.” Dean’s voice was playful. _God_ , was he glad Charlie and Bela had invited Mary over for a while to hang out with Lauryn. He and Cas sure could use some alone time.  


He gave Cas a shove onto the bed and crawled over him, pinning him as he leaned in. “I want your cock in me and I want it now.”

The words sent a shiver down Castiel’s spine and his head tipped back; he groaned. “FUCK, Dean.”

Dean’s fingers were deftly undoing Cas’ pants and easing his cock out. Cas could hear the cap on the bottle of lube snap open as Dean slicked his fingers, hissing as he pressed two into that tight entrance, stretching himself. Fuck, it was sexy. But Cas didn't have long to think about it for Then Dean's talented mouth was taking Cas in deep, forcing another guttural moan free. Cas’ hands slid into Dean’s short hair, instinctively pressing his head down. “Fuck. Take it.” The words spilled forth without permission and Dean paused, looking up at him in surprise. Still, he couldn’t deny that Cas’ tone had sent a thrill of desire through him. He covered one of Cas’ hands with his own, encouraging him to push again, to force him to suck. There was something electrifying about it.

He was sloppier than usual, wanting Cas nice and slick, working his mouth up and down Cas’ cock until the man was a whimpering mess.

“Dean…” Cas’ hips were bucking up into his mouth, nearly choking him. As if Dean's mouth wasn't enough, the breathless moans the man made as he stretched himself were driving Cas out of his mind. “Dean, can’t…..gonna come….”

Dean pulled off slowly, teasingly, eliciting a pathetic whimper. He crawled on all fours up the mattress until he was face to face with Cas, smiling down at him, that little smirk that Cas loved, that he always wanted to kiss away. But now he was too out of it. Dean had melted his mind, his brain leaking out through his ears. He simply lay there as Dean leaned in for a soft, slow, lingering kiss, nipping Cas’ lip as he pulled away. It pulled a tiny noise from Cas and Dean chuckled. “You okay, babe?”

Cas pouted as his husband laughed at him, but the face only made him even more adorable. “Yes.”

Dean ran his thumb over Cas’ lower lip. It was flushed from the kisses. Cas nipped Dean’s thumb and Dean smiled. “You ready for me?”

Cas managed a nod. “Wanna be inside you.” He could see something roll through Dean’s eyes and then the man was positioning himself, the blunt head of Cas’ cock nudging at his entrance. The tight heat when he pressed inside was absolutely unbelievable. “ _Fuck_.” His fingers dug into Dean’s hips. “Hold on, baby. Slow down.” If they went too fast, he was gonna lose it.

Dean obeyed, pausing. His hands traced soothing circles on Castiel’s chest. “You okay?” 

Cas took a deep breath and opened his eyes, nodding. “Yeah. Move.” With a smile, Dean gave a roll of his hips and Cas bit back a moan. “Oh, _God_.”

Dean gave a breathless laugh. “Oh yea.” He set up a steady pace, raising his hips so Cas was barely inside him before dropping back down, impaling himself on Cas’ cock. It felt amazing and Cas didn’t know how long he was going to last.

“ _Fuck_ , baby, don’t stop.” Cas’ fingers dug into Dean’s waist. “I can’t….”

“C’mon, Cas…” Dean stroked Cas’ cheek. In response, Cas wrapped his fingers around Dean’s cock, giving him a stroke. Dean gasped, hips bucking into the touch. “FUCK! Just like that.” 

Cas continued to stroke Dean’s cock, loving the way Dean fucked up into his fist. “Come for me, baby.”

Dean let out a whimper and gave one more buck of his hips before he came all over Castiel’s fist. That was enough to push him over the edge and he thrust up into Dean, coming deep within him. God, it felt amazing.

Dean climbed off of him and Cas felt a wave of disappointment as his cock slipped out, that tight heat leaving him, but having Dean snuggle up against him more than made up for it. He wrapped an arm around Dean, stroked his hair. “That was _amazing_.”

Dean chuckled. “I most definitely agree.”

They made no effort to get up, simply lay wrapped together in the silence. Neither had mentioned another baby but both were thinking about it.

“So…” Cas spoke up at last, hesitantly. “Another kid.”

He could _feel_ the happiness in Dean’s body….he didn’t know how but he could.

“Yea?” Dean raised his head, shifting so one elbow supported him and he could look Cas in the eye. The excitement was barely suppressed. Clearly he was trying not to get too excited just yet. “You really want another one?”

Cas nodded. “I do.” Before he knew what was happening, Dean was on him, kissing him. He laughed. “I take it you do too?”

Dean nodded fervently. “I do. Definitely. I definitely do.”

Cas couldn’t help another laugh at the repetition. “I guess you really do.”

Dean gave Cas his best glower. “Hush.” Cas chuckled; Dean couldn’t help but smile, slipping a hand into that messy hair and leaning in for a kiss. It was soft and slow, tongues and lips moving together in a slow, smooth dance. Cas was smiling when they pulled away.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Dean gave Cas another kiss, this one a soft, fleeting thing. “Talk about it more tomorrow?”

Cas nodded. “Most definitely.” Dean’s face was aglow, and beautiful to see. Cas couldn’t help giving him another kiss. “Let’s get cleaned up, then get to bed.”

Dean laughed. “Sounds like a plan.”

After wiping clean with a warm cloth and brushing their teeth, they returned to their bed, making a half-hearted attempt to straighten the sheets out (a messy tangle from the intensity of their love-making). Mary was home about half an hour later and once they got her tucked into bed, the two men settled in for good.

Lying in bed, Dean wrapped in his arms, Cas didn’t know how he could be happier. Mary, another child possibly on the way…..and Dean. Always Dean.

He looked down at Dean, those eyelashes fanning across his cheeks, a small smile on his face even in sleep……and he couldn’t help but smile in return. He really was the luckiest man on earth. Every day showed him that.

Dean let out a little sigh and snuggled closer. Cas pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead. “I love you,” he said softly. “More than anything in the world.” It may have been his imagination but it seemed to him that Dean’s smile grew. With a smile of his own he snuggled even closer and settled in to a peaceful night’s sleep.

 

 **~tbc~**  
.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's another piece of art up in 'Every Color in the World', chapter 15. It's Halloween, the boys in their costumes.


	21. Chapter 21

Cas woke early the next morning, his alarm blaring. He groaned, hand reaching blindly, slapping at the nightstand until he managed to slam down on his phone, silencing it. With a growl he rolled over, seeking Dean’s warmth, but Dean wasn’t there. He raised his head from the pillow, disconcerted and disappointed. “….Dean?”

He slid out from beneath the covers and padded barefoot down the hallway. Something smelled delicious. Sure enough, there was Dean in the kitchen. He was wearing one of Cas’ old t-shirts. It was a size too small for him, clinging tight to his toned chest, and spattered with paint, and _damn_ did he look good.

Dean looked up to where Cas was staring and smiled. “Morning, babe.” He flipped a pancake. Pancakes. That’s what smelled so good. The smile took on an edge, the corner of Dean’s mouth turning up in a smirk. “See something you like?” Clearly he had noticed Cas staring.

Cas blushed but he didn’t take his eyes off Dean. Instead he let his eyes trace a slow trail up and down Dean’s chest, lingering at Dean’s nipples. As he stared, he could see them harden. Dean was clearly getting off on the attention.

“Fuck.” Dean’s whisper got Cas’ attention and he looked up. Those green eyes were hazy with want, pupils blown wide. “Don’t do this to me, Cas,” and now his voice was rough. “We don’t have any time this morning.”

“Mmm.” Cas hummed, moving closer. His hand found Dean’s belly and he relished the intake of breath, the way that soft spot below Dean’s belly button hitched. _God_ , did he love that little bit of pudge. Dean hated it so he never commented on it but _damn_ , did he love it.

Dean’s hands were in the air as if he wanted to push Cas away but couldn’t bring himself to do so. “Cas…” he said weakly.

“Yes?” Cas’ voice was innocent. He walked two fingers up Dean’s belly to his chest. Dean’s eyes slipped shut; he let out a shaky, shuddering breath.

“Cas,” he repeated. “We do not….have time.” The words were spoken slowly, as though Dean were trying to convince not just Cas but himself. “We need to eat breakfast—“

“Forget breakfast.”

“Mary, Mary will be up any minute.”

Fuck. Fuck, Cas had forgotten all about Mary. Yesterday had been Sunday; for some reason in the heat of the moment his brain had gone on vacation and he had thought it was still the weekend. Often on the weekends Mary stayed with Lauryn or Lauryn stayed here with them. To wake up to such a quiet house, he had completely assumed the former. Cas stepped back with a shuddering sigh, a hand scrubbing at his face. “I’m sorry.”

“You should be. Bastard.”

“Hey, at least YOU’RE working from home! YOU can rub one out if you want!”

Dean stared at him in surprise, then cracked up. “I hadn’t even thought of that.” He grinned. “Guess I’ll have to do that.”

Cas glared. “You’re a bastard.”

“Hey, YOU suggested it.”

“MENTIONED, not suggested.”

“One? Two?”

Cas spun around to see Mary there. “Hey, baby girl!” Mary smiled up at him. “Look at you….all dressed and ready for school.”

Dean had loaded up two plates full of pancakes, one for Mary and one for Cas. “Give us a little twirl, Mary.” Mary happily obliged, her jungle green skirt flaring out around her, showing off her bright pink, green, and blue striped socks. Her sneakers were high top converse, one purple and one red (she had several pairs and liked to mix them up) and her shirt had a sock monkey on it. She had adopted Cas’ love of sock monkeys, much to Dean’s dismay.

Dean grinned as he set the plates down. “Lookin’ good, sweetie.” He put a hand on her head, one on the small of Cas’ back. “Now both of you, eat.”

“What about Two?”

“I’m coming, baby.” Dean finished filling his own plate and joined the two at the table. 

“Haven’t had pancakes in a while.”

Gee, for such a little kid, Mary sure was observant. “Well, it’s a special occasion.” Adopting a new baby was most definitely a special occasion.

Mary honestly looked more interested in the pancakes than in her father’s mention of a special occasion. Not that that was surprising.

Dean watched the two of them eat, smiling to see them enjoy the food he made. He loved mornings like this, where he could take the time to make real food instead of having them eat cereal, and the three could sit down to enjoy breakfast together before they all went their separate ways. It was nice.

But soon enough they had to part. Mary may have been ready but Cas sure wasn’t, still dressed in his pajamas. The little girl waited impatiently while her dad took what may have been the world’s fastest shower and dressed, rushing back to the kitchen. Dean stifled a laugh. Cas had odd socks on, one navy blue, the other bright green with blue polka dots (it was one of Dean’s).

Cas heard the laugh and glared at Dean. “Don’t start,” he warned, shoving one shoe on. 

“I said nothing.”

“I said don’t start.” Cas managed to get both shoes on, muttering “you and your bizarre socks.”

“Hey, _you’re_ the one who loves sock monkeys.”

“Sock monkeys are cool.” Cas shouldered his messenger bag. Mary already had her backpack on, waiting by the door. “You ready, baby girl?” She nodded. “Okay.” Cas gave Dean a quick kiss and rushed out the door after Mary.

“Cas, wait!” Dean’s voice rang out and Cas turned, flustered. Dean was holding up a bag. 

Lunch. Cas had forgotten his lunch. He felt his heart melt. For some reason, Dean always did this, always made Cas lunch. He really should be used to it by now but it never failed to fill him with an overwhelming flood of love. 

Dean’s writing had him keeping odd hours, often up late, and thus he generally slept later than Cas. But still, even on days when Cas woke before Dean did, he would still find a lunch waiting for him, obviously made by Dean before he had gone to bed that morning. There was often a little note inside, written and signed with love.

Honestly, he had the sweetest, most thoughtful husband in the world.

He realized that he had been staring for a while now, that Dean was gently waving the bag at him, a smile on his face. “You gonna get this or not?” 

Cas rushed up the front steps and, to Dean’s surprise, right into his arms. One hand slipped into his short blonde hair as he gave him a soft, deep kiss…the other closed around the lunchbag. He pulled away slowly, languidly, smiling at the look of surprise in those green eyes. “Thank you,” he said softly, taking the bag from Dean.

Dean seemed to shake himself, shake away the surprise, and he smiled. “Dork.” Gently, he tugged a lock of hair. “You’re welcome.” His touch turned soft, fingers running through those chocolate brown locks. “We’ll talk more this afternoon?”

Cas’ heart leapt at the thought of another child. Their child. He nodded. “Yes.”

“Good.” Dean kissed him, smiling. “Now get your cute butt to work.”

Laughing, Cas ran down the steps and back to the car where Mary was waiting. Pulling out of the driveway, he gave a wave as Dean vanished into the distance behind them. They were going to have a second child. The thought sent a shiver of happiness down his spine.

Mary seemed to sense his emotion. “You okay, One?”

He glanced at her and nodded with a smile. “I’m more than okay, Mary. I’m….I’m _wonderful_.”

She smiled, happy with the answer, and both turned their attention back to the road.

Magnifique. Fantastico. Magnifico. Mirabilis.

_Wonderful_. 

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean?” Cas had expected to come home to find Dean passed out at his desk, either in front of his typewriter or his computer. This had been happening a lot lately. Dean was working on a third novel. He was nearly finished but for some reason he just wasn’t satisfied and couldn’t end it. Thus he was spending most every night writing long into the morning, usually falling asleep at his desk. Cas often had to put him to bed. Honestly he was worried for his husband’s health.

But Dean wasn’t there today. The office was empty, as was the living room, kitchen, and their bedroom. Then it hit him. The basement. Dean must be in the basement.

As he headed downstairs, he could hear the soft music of _‘Sleeping Beauty’_ playing, and reaching the bottom, Dean came into view. He was in his dance clothes, that sleeveless hoodie and cutoff capris that Cas loved so much, and he was dancing with Cindy.

Dancing with her in a manner of speaking, that is. Sam, in all his infinite wisdom and technical capabilities, had set up Skype and a screen to project Cindy’s image onto the wall. Cindy was as large as if she were there in the room. They still couldn’t do lifts or any interactive dancing, but to be able to talk as they danced was wonderful.

Cindy spotted him before Dean did, and gave a little wave. “Hey, Cas.” Dean’s head spun about, eyes lighting up when he saw his husband.

Cas smiled, waving back. “Hi, Cindy. You two having fun?”

“Kind of.”

“Kind of?” Cas echoed.

Cindy nodded, giving a jerk of her chin at Dean. “This jerk did more fouettés than me.”

Cas burst out laughing at the words, the smug look on Dean’s face. “Oh, I’m sure that absolutely ruined your day.”

“Damn right it did.” Cindy pointed an accusing finger at Dean. “There’ll be a rematch next week. Be prepared to lose.”

Dean laughed. “Bring it.”

With that exchange, Cindy waved goodbye and walked to her computer, shutting down the connection and vanishing. Dean was still grinning, shaking his head.

“You two are ridiculous.” Castiel’s voice was fond.

“Yup. And you knew that when you married me.”

“Married you?” The amusement was plain to hear. “I knew that from the moment I met you.”

Dean laughed. “The moment you met me, huh. Saw me talking with Sam at that tag sale and thought wow, what a ridiculous bastard.”

“Well, not in those words _exactly_ …” Cas’ arms slid around Dean’s waist. “But something like that, yeah.”

Dean chuckled; he nudged Cas’ nose with his own. “Dork,” he murmured.

“Damn straight.”

Shaking his head with a smile, Dean took hold of Cas’ hand. “C’mon, gorgeous, let’s go upstairs….we can get to talking bout this baby situation.”

Castiel’s heart skipped a beat; with a nod he let Dean tug him, laughing, up the stairs.

 

**~*~**

 

“So…” Dean’s voice was hesitant as it split the silence of the room. It seemed that neither was certain quite how to begin this discussion. “Do we do this just as before? Go fill out papers and wait and see what happens?”

Cas shrugged. “I guess…?” He bit his lip. “But…”

Dean cocked his head. “But what?”

Cas’ cheeks went pink. “…but…..” He looked at his lap. “I’d kind of like a boy this time.” He rushed to explain. “Not that I don’t love Mary, I LOVE Mary, and I wanted her more than anything. But to have one girl and one boy…..I just think that would be nice….” he finished awkwardly.

Dean had been in the process of preparing dinner; he paused now, moving to Cas’ side. The brunette felt those graceful hands tilting his chin up so he had to meet that green-eyed gaze. “I think that would be _wonderful_.”

Cas felt his heart fly to know that Dean didn’t think he was crazy. “Yeah?”

Dean nodded. “I mean….” He paused as though unsure how to proceed. “How about when we fill out the papers this time, we put in a note. I know that people can request a specific gender, but there are so many children in need.” Cas nodded. He knew that all too well. “So,” Dean continued, “how about we put a note that we would LIKE a boy but that if a situation comes through where they need to place a baby right away, we will most definitely take it, regardless of sex. Is that okay with you?”

Cas nodded enthusiastically. “That sounds perfect.” And it really did. He would never want to abandon someone who really needed them.

Dean kissed him. “Okay, then. We know that…” The door opened suddenly and Mary trooped in. “Hey, Mary.”

Mary gave a little wave, letting her schoolbag drop to the floor.

“Ah ah, what have we talked about? Where does the bag go?”

She grimaced but dutifully picked the bag back up and carried it off to her room. Cas smiled at Dean, who looked immensely pleased with himself. “Looks like its working.”

“Yea. She’s finally starting to really listen.” After a moment, he turned to his husband. “Think we should tell her? About the baby?”

Cas pondered it. “….couldn’t hurt. I mean it could be a long time before anything happens but this way she’d have time to get used to the idea.”

Mary returned to the kitchen, her shoes removed. Cas beckoned to her. “C’mere, Mary.” Dutifully she went to his side, crawling into his lap. “Your daddies have something to talk to you about.” She looked between the two of them, curiosity in those big blue eyes.

“Mary.” Dean brushed a lock of blonde hair back, tucking it behind her ear. “What would you think of having a little brother or sister?”

At the question, Mary’s eyes lit up. “REALLY??” Her voice was high enough to burst eardrums. Both men winced.

“Yes, really.” Dean smiled despite the ringing in his ears. “Probably a little brother.”

The smile faded from Mary’s face and she wrinkled her nose. Cas looked at her, surprised. “Mary? What’s wrong?”

“Ick. Boys.”

Both men were taken aback, and seeing the look on her face, were trying not to laugh. “What’s wrong with boys, Mary?” Dean managed.

“Boys have COOTIES,” she said the words as though they should be obvious.

Oh God. Cas’ stomach ached from holding in his laughter. Dean’s face was bright red. “Okay, Mary,” he managed. “We’ll talk about it later, okay babydoll?” Mary nodded. “Okay. Go do your homework….Two is gonna make dinner.”

Mary obediently left, heading to her room. She had barely left the kitchen before Dean all but collapsed into Castiel’s lap, howling with laughter. Cas held Dean to him, laughing as well.

Dean pulled back so he could look at his husband. “ _Cooties?_ ” he echoed.

“She’s seven,” Cas shrugged. “She’s at that age.”

“Valid point.” Dean heaved a sigh as he tried to even his breathing. “Well. Guess we’ll discuss it more with her later, then.”

Cas ran his fingers through that short blonde hair, pressed a kiss to Dean’s forehead. “Later,” he agreed.

 

**~*~**

 

Dean stepped into the shower, sighing with delight at the feeling of the scalding spray pounding down on him. Honestly he would have preferred to shower right after dancing with Cindy but circumstances hadn’t allowed for it. So getting in the shower now felt delightful. Even moreso when he felt the curtain shift as a certain someone stepped into the shower behind him, wrapping their arms around his waist.

Dean hummed happily, leaning back into Cas, letting his head tilt back to fall against Cas’ shoulder. “Mary in bed?”

Cas kissed Dean’s throat. “Mmhm. She’s all set for the night. Was asleep practically before I stood to leave the room.”

Dean chuckled. “Good.” He turned his head, nuzzling at Castiel’s throat as he murmured “I have plans for you.”

Cas could feel heat rolling through him. “Oh, do you.” His cock stirred to life, hardening. Dean could clearly feel it for he shifted backwards, rubbing against it where it pressed against the crack of his ass. Cas struggled to bite back a moan, to no avail. “Fuck, Dean,” he whispered.

“Yea.” Then Dean was turning in his arms until they were facing each other, his own hard cock bumping against Cas’. Cas looked down to see the way they slid together, wet and flushed and fuck, so gorgeous. He looked back up at Dean, who was watching him with flushed cheeks and pupils blown wide. “Touch me, Cas,” he whispered. And Cas would be damned if he could refuse.

His hand wrapped around their cocks, stroking them together. They were hot and slick with water and precum. Dean let out a shaky breath at his first touch and damn if that didn’t make this even better. Then that graceful hand was there, covering Castiel’s own, Dean’s hand moving with his as they jerked their cocks together.

“ _Fuck_ , Dean.” The words were puffed out, breaths of air.

Dean’s head dropped forward, their foreheads resting together, and their gazes met from inches away. “C’mon, Cas,” he whispered. “Come for me.” He was fucking up into Cas’ fist and Goddamn it was too hot, the friction so damn good, Cas couldn’t….he couldn’t…. 

He came with a cry, thrusting up into the tight grip of their hands. His seed made everything slicker, Dean’s cock in his hand that much more slippery as it fucked up, a few more desperate thrusts before he was coming, biting back a cry of his own.

Dean was panting for breath, his forehead against Cas’ shoulder. Cas raised his hand up, covered in both of their seed. Dean watched his progress with hazy eyes, eyes that turned dark when Cas gave his hand a lick. 

“ _Fuck_ ,” Dean breathed, watching Cas slowly lick his hand, tasting the mixture of himself and Dean. 

Cas pulled back with a smile. “We taste good.” Dean stared at him, dumfounded; Cas offered his hand for Dean to try. 

Instead, Dean pulled Cas to him and kissed him fiercely, tongue pressing against the seam of his lips and demanding entrance, delving deep inside to taste. When he pulled away, Cas was lost, trembling as he stared at Dean. Dean just smiled. “You’re right. We DO taste good.” 

And Cas couldn’t help but laugh. “C’mon, you ass. Let’s get cleaned up and get into bed.” 

It didn’t take long to finish up now that both were sated. They crawled into their pajamas and slid into bed, holding each other close, content just to lie there in silence for several long moments, happy in each other’s presence. 

“So,” Dean said at last, breaking the quiet, “names. Boy names. If we do have a boy, that is.” And Cas smiled, remembering how they had come up with nothing but girl names before they got Mary, since Dean had had a feeling they’d get a girl. A feeling. It seemed so strange, yet he had been right. 

“Boy names,” he agreed. 

“God….where do we even begin?” Dean was at a loss. Last time, Cas had brought up the suggestion for Mary and it had seemed like the completely obvious choice, but boys’ names? 

“Well, family names are always a good starting point….” 

Dean snorted. “Well we’re DEFINITELY not naming him John.” 

Cas winced. He hadn’t even thought of that when he was making the statement. “Definitely not. That asshole is never coming near you, or any part of your life. That includes our children.” 

Dean was smiling. “And you.” 

Cas kissed him. “And me,” he agreed. He was quiet for a moment, finally speaking up uncertainly. "What about naming him after MY dad?" He suggested. "I mean Chuck IS short for Charles." 

Dean's surprise faded as he pondered the idea. "Hmm...not bad." Then a grin spread over his face. "Can we name him Charlemagne?" 

Cas was completely taken aback. "Charlemagne???" 

"Yea! It’s what Charles is derived from!" 

Cas stared at Dean, aghast, and burst into laughter. "Oh my God. I love you." 

"Well duh. I'm amazing." 

Grinning, Cas shook his head with a kiss. "Of _course_ we can name him Charlemagne." 

"AWESOME.” Dean was grinning himself. "Charles for short." He looked so ridiculously pleased that Cas couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head. 

"I adore you." 

Dean leaned in for a kiss, a smile on his face as he murmured "likewise." 

Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s hair, coaxing him to settle back and relax. “Sleep, baby.” Dean had no problem complying, snuggling close to Cas and settling in for the night. 

Cas smiled as he held his husband close. He had been right that morning. Everything really was absolutely wonderful. 

_**~tbc~** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Mary. Have I mentioned that I love Mary? Because I love Mary.
> 
> And I'm happy to have Cindy back. She'll make several more appearances.
> 
> I seriously have a thing where I've pestered several people to name their kid Charlemagne. Specifically, Charlemagne Ebeneezer. They all tell me that *I* should do it but I'm not a big fan of the name Charles, so I don't want to. But come on. Go big or go home.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stuff is happening. Big stuff. Be excited and review. <3

Dean finished executing a series of jetés, reveling in the feeling of flying, of freedom. He was about to go into a pirouette when a tiny voice interrupted. “Two?”

Dean abruptly stopped. Mary had snuck into the room when he was busy and had seated herself on the couch that Cas always watched him from, sitting there with baby Mary in his lap since she was an infant. Now the girl herself would spend days there watching her father dance. It always brought a smile to Dean’s face.

“What is it, pumpkin?”

Mary’s face was almost wistful. “Would you teach me to dance?”

Dean was surprised, though he supposed he shouldn’t be. Mary had been watching him more and more frequently as of late…it seemed only natural that she would want to dance herself. Not only that, she had been around ballet all her life. Between her father dancing, the two men taking her to see ballets, the toys…..

Not that Dean had ever tried to force ballet on her. Quite the contrary. Dean and Cas had very specifically gotten her toys of every kind, taken her to events geared to girls AND boys…..they wanted her to have every experience, to be able to make up her mind what she liked without being influenced by anyone.

Still, she seemed to have taken to art right from the beginning, sitting beside Cas in his studio as he painted, crayon clutched in her chubby fist as she drew. And now it seemed like she was taking an interest in dance. Dean could feel excitement beginning to rise in him. Dance. His second love after writing, and he could share it with his daughter.

Dean went to one knee in front of Mary, smiling. “I can do that.” The smile that lit up her face was beautiful and made his heart soar.

“Really??”

He chuckled. “Really.” Gently , he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “How about we go shopping later….pick you up some shoes?” Immediately he found his arms full, Mary’s body wrapped around his, and he laughed. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“Take what as a yes?”

Dean looked up at the sound of his husband’s voice. Cas was at the bottom of the stairs, amusement in his eyes as he watched Dean and Mary. Dean released the child. “This one wants to learn to dance, so we’re gonna pick her up some shoes this afternoon.”

It was impossible to miss the smile on Castiel’s face. Though it was small, he was clearly extremely pleased. “That’s nice.”

“You wanna come with?”

The smile grew. “Most definitely.”

 

**~*~**

 

Cas shut the front door behind them and watched Mary tug at Dean’s jacket. “Can we dance?” Her little voice was so excited. He bit back a laugh. Dean wasn’t as successful.

“Not now, kiddo. Thing Two is tired. But if you wanna go try on your slippers in daddy’s studio, go ahead.” Mary’s eyes lit up and she practically ran for the stairs, brand new shopping bag in hand.

Dean shook his head. Cas looked to him. “What.”

“Nothing. She’s just adorable.”

Cas smiled. “Like her dad.”

Dean returned the look. “ _Both_ her dads.”

Cas huffed a laugh at that. “Right. Both.” He watched Dean, who was staring after Mary with a fond smile on his face. “Hey.” Dean turned to him. “What do you think about teaching dance?” Dean cocked his head at Cas in a manner so familiar to Cas’ own head tilt that Cas nearly laughed. It was as if they were taking on each other’s’ mannerisms as they grew older.

“What do you mean? I think it’s pretty obvious how I feel. I’m gonna love teaching Mary.”

Cas shook his head. “No, you don’t get my meaning. I mean teaching in general. Teaching like how you coach soccer, or how I teach art. Teaching more than just Mary. Teaching a group of kids.”

Dean looked completely taken aback. “Are you serious?”

A nod. “Deadly.”

Dean was silent, a myriad of emotions playing across his face. He looked surprised, hesitant, intrigued. But the intrigue was the emotion that was strongest. “I….. _really?_ ”

Cas huffed a laugh. “Really.”

The blonde was silent, clearly pondering it. Cas smiled as he watched. Dean chewed his lower lip. “You really think I could?” His voice was tiny, hesitant. Cas shook his head in exasperation. Dean was always so unsure of his own skills.

“I’m positive you can. Dean, you are so talented. And you’re wonderful with kids. I think you would be a _great_ dance teacher. And it would still give you plenty of time to write.”

The thought clearly appealed to Dean. Still he was hesitant. But he nodded. “I’ll think about it.”

Cas slipped his fingers through Dean’s belt loops and tugged him closer, pulling him in for a kiss. “Do,” he murmured. 

Dean’s eyes darkened with desire at the touch, the brush of lips. “Great teacher, huh.” Cas nodded. “Think there’s a couple things I can teach _you_ tonight.”

Cas laughed breathlessly, his cheeks flushing with desire. “I look forward to it.”

 

**~*~**

 

“You’re doing WHAT??”

Dean smiled at Claire’s high-pitched squeal, listening to Castiel chuckle. “Having another baby.” He paused. “Well….not HAVING. Neither of us are actually carrying the child.”

Cas let out a burst of laughter, which Claire echoed. “Obviously,” she said.

“Though if we did, I’d clearly be the one carrying,” Dean said.

“Oh?” Cas arched a brow, amused. “Why is that?”

“Are you _kidding_ me? Cas…” Dean shook his head. “You spent all of high school carrying my books and calling me Sandra Dee and saying _I_ was the girl.”

“Yeah, and YOU said _I_ was the girl!” Cas shot back. 

“When?” Dean’s brow was furrowed.

“Right after we started dating. Because I wore TOMS.”

“ _What??_ ” Claire interrupted. “You wore _TOMS_ , Cas?” She looked positively delighted. Cas let his head fall back with a groan. 

“Yes. Yes, I did.”

She clapped her hands together. “Oh, that’s PRECIOUS.”

Cas glared at Dean as though this were his fault, despite the fact that it was he who revealed this tidbit of information. “I hate you.”

Dean was grinning at him. “You love me.”

“One? Two?” 

The three of them turned to the door. Mary was there, obviously drawn by the sound of raised voices. 

Cas smiled. “Hey, baby girl.” Mary may be seven but neither man had been able to stop calling her that name.

But Mary had no time for either of them once she saw Claire, her eyes lighting up. “Aunt Claire!” And she was on Claire, arms around the tiny blonde’s waist, hugging her tight.

Claire laughed, stroking Mary’s soft blonde curls. “Hey, kiddo.” Mary pulled back to smile up at her. “Haven’t seen you in a while, huh.” Mary shook her head back and forth, back and forth, vehemently. Dean and Cas laughed.

“She’s missed you,” Dean smiled.

“I’ve missed her, too. But it’s hard trying to enter the work-force. God,” Claire shook her head. “How do you guys DO this day after day?”

Dean laughed and gestured to Cas. “Ask him. _He’s_ the one who works.”

“Dean!” Cas smacked Dean’s shoulder. He shook his head at Claire. “Don’t listen to him. He works his ass off. He just does it from home.”

“Oh, I know he does. I’ve read the books.”

“Both of you shut up.” Dean was bright red now.

“No.” Claire just grinned at him, Cas smiling and stroking his shoulder reassuringly. Mary was looking curiously back and forth between the three of them. Claire scooped her up and sat her down in her lap. Both men felt such happiness to see it. They truly had made it work. Claire was a real aunt to Mary, nothing more, nothing less, and Mary loved her as such. She knew the truth about Claire being her birth mother (had only learned it recently) and she was okay with that fact. Her dads were her real parents and Claire was her aunt. It had all worked out so perfectly.

Claire smiled down at the girl in her lap. “What’s your opinion, kiddo? What do you think about having another sibling?”

Mary’s eyes lit up and she nodded. “Yea!”

“Would you like that?” Mary nodded again. “Having a little brother?”

At that Mary’s nose wrinkled. “Ew!”

Dean bit his lip to hold back a laugh and Cas looked at him with sparkling eyes. They had already heard this reaction from Mary before. Claire, however, looked surprised, but then she couldn’t help a laugh. “What…..what’s wrong with a brother?”

“Boys are ICKY!”

At that Dean couldn’t help the laugh that burst forth. Claire glanced at him, at Castiel’s eyes filled with mirth, and back at Mary. “What about your dads? Your dads are both boys.”

That seemed to give Mary pause and she was silent, regarding both men. “They’re not BOYS,” she said at last. “They’re…they’re THINGS.”

Despite the fact that she was clearly referring to the titles of Thing One and Thing Two, the words were just so ridiculously funny. Dean burst into uproarious laughter, and even Cas couldn’t hold back. Mary looked at them, affronted, and slid off of Claire’s, lap, heading for the door.

“Hey, Mary!” Dean called after her. She almost didn’t turn but she paused in the doorway, just barely turning to look back at them. There was a pout on her face, that lower lip jutting in such an adorable way. “I’m sorry, baby. We’re not laughing at you, I promise.”

She stared at them all for a long moment as if trying to determine how truthful his statement was. After several long seconds she finally nodded as if deciding he was forgiven. It was too damn cute. But then she was rushing over and giving him a kiss before moving on to Castiel, hugging Claire, and then running out into the backyard to play.

“So,” Claire spoke up. “You want a boy this time?”

Cas nodded. “We’re hoping, anyway.”

“Got a name picked out?”

Cas opened his mouth but Dean spoke over him. “Charlemagne.”

Claire blinked at them. Anyone else would ask if they were joking, but not Claire. She knew the men too well to ask such a thing. She knew they were serious. Instead she began laughing. “Charlemagne?”

Dean nodded, a proud grin on his face, and Cas shook his head, regarding Dean with a fond smile. “Yes. I suggested naming him Charles after my father and Dean wanted Charlemagne, since it’s what Charles is derived from. Obviously I said yes.”

“Obviously,” Claire echoed, a grin on her face. “What about a middle name? Do you have one yet?” 

Cas began to shake his head ‘no’ but Dean spoke up. “Yea. Gabriel. His full name will be Charles Gabriel.”

Cas looked at Dean in surprise, eyes wide, mouth open. Dean just smiled at him. Then Cas was on him, hands cupping Dean’s face, kissing him fierce and deep. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against Dean’s. “I love you,” he said softly. Dean smiled.

“I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

“Are you gonna teach them down here?”

Dean sat on the shiny wood floor of his dance studio on the basement of their house. Cindy was projected on the wall in front of him through the wonders of Skype and Sam’s incredible tech skills. The two were both seated, doing some stretches before they began dancing.

He shook his head. “We’re renovating the upstairs of the garage. Well,” he amended, “not so much WE. Cas insisted on hiring contractors. Doesn’t want me taking away time from my writing.” He shook his head in fond exasperation. “But I’m gonna put in some time. Wanna make sure I like what they do.”

Cindy laughed. “Well, I’m sure Cas expects nothing less.”

Dean grinned. “I’m sure. He knows me too well to expect me to sit it out completely.”

“I’m sure he does.” They were silent as they stretched. It was several minutes before Cindy spoke up. “Hey.”

Dean glanced up. “Hmm?”

Her voice was purposefully casual. “What would you think about me coming down for the opening of your studio?”

Dean stared, mouth agape. “Are you KIDDING me?? I’d LOVE it!” Cindy’s face broke into a smile, clearly pleased.

“Oh, good. Cuz I’m gonna be heading that way.”

“Really?” The surprise was clear in Dean’s voice.

“Yeah.” Cindy was obviously trying to sound casual still but her smile was breaking free. “I’m going to be moving to New England.”

Dean’s eyes were the size of saucers. “You…..WHAT???”

Cindy laughed, delighted with Dean’s obvious shock. “I want to be near New York. The film opportunities in LA are good, but not as much the stage. Thought I’d try Broadway.”

“Oh my God.” Dean was fumbling for words. “…..oh my God.” He wasn’t succeeding. Cindy laughed yet again. “You’ll be so much closer!” he managed at last.

She nodded. “We can visit all the time. And I can finally meet little Miss Mary.”

Oh God. Dean hadn’t even _thought_ of that. His heart soared. “She’ll LOVE you.”

“I’m certain _I’ll_ love _her_.”

Warmth flooded Dean, and he was overcome with happiness. Then a thought hit him. “Hey. Idea” Cindy raised her eyebrows, waiting. “Would you be interested in doing a little performance with me before I open the school? Something small to attract students?”

He knew the answer even before he asked the question, even more so when Cindy’s face lit up. “That would be great! What are you thinking?”

“Well, I’d love to do something from _‘Swan Lake’_ …” Cindy laughed. She knew his love of _‘Swan Lake’_. He gave her an exaggerated glower. “Shut up.”

“But?” She coaxed, asking for the rest of Dean’s statement. It was clear there was more to the statement he’d begun.

“But there’s really not much men’s’ dancing.” He fell silent, contemplating. Then his eyes lit up as an idea hit. “Hey. What if we reversed roles?”

Cindy’s brow furrowed. “I don’t follow.”

“Swan prince…..human princess.”

Cindy was clearly intrigued. “That…..could be really damn cool.”

Dean felt excitement stirring in him. “Yea? You think?”

“I do.” She cocked her head, thinking. “We’d have to abandon the lifts, the catches….”

“I know.” He bit his lower lip as he thought. “Maybe do a lot of mirror work?”

“Ooh, that’s a good idea!”

Dean was getting more and more excited as they spoke. “Awesome.”

“Well, do you want to get going? Start coming up with some ideas?”

Dean’s heart leapt with excitement, even as he laughed. “We haven’t even begun to renovate the garage, so there’s still plenty of time. But yea…..I’d like that.”

Cindy smiled, rising to her feet. “Then let’s get started.”

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean?” Cas poked his head into the dance studio. _‘Swan Lake’_ was playing, which wasn’t at all surprising. What WAS surprising was what PART was playing. After so many years with Dean, Cas was as familiar with _‘Swan Lake’_ as if HE were the dancer, familiar enough to know that what Dean was dancing to now was one of the Swan’s numbers. He supposed that wouldn’t be strange in and of itself (as Dean so often lamented, there weren’t many good men’s parts in the show)…no, it was HOW Dean was dancing. Instead of the usual strong, confident styles Dean usually employed while dancing to this show, Dean was moving in an altogether different manner. He was shy, fragile…willowy. It was a different kind of loveliness than the one Cas was used to and he stood silently as he watched his husband move. It took only a moment to realize that Dean wasn’t just dancing to the Swan’s music, he was playing the _part_ of the Swan. Dean WAS the Swan.

Despite Castiel’s best effort at silence, Dean noticed him standing in the shadows by the stairs. “Cas!” Smile on his face, he hurried to Cas’ side, giving him a kiss. Cas gave Dean’s hair a gentle tug, as best he could with its short length. 

“You look happy.”

The grin on Dean’s face was huge; he nodded. “Cindy is moving up here to New England!”

Cas felt surprise hit him. “Seriously? That….oh my God, Dean, that’s awesome!”

Dean nodded. “She’s gonna come up here for the opening of the studio.”

“Oh my God.” This was amazing, _beyond_ amazing. Cindy had been Dean’s dance partner in college and the two had become ridiculously close. It had been hard when they’d moved back to Connecticut and left her behind. Dean had missed her terribly. Having Sam set up this Skype had been a God-send. And now….now Dean would have his friend back for real. “That….” He shook his head. “That’s wonderful, baby.”

Dean looked overjoyed. “Yea. We’re gonna put on a performance before the opening….try and attract some students.”

God, Cas really had the smartest husband ever. That was genius, and he kicked himself for not having thought of it. “Is that what you were practicing?”

Dean nodded. “Yea. We’re gonna do a reverse _‘Swan Lake’_. She’ll be the princess, I’ll be the swan.”

Again, his husband. That was such a wonderful, original thought, and if the final project looked anything like what he’d just witnessed…..

He realized Dean was regarding him with his head cocked. “What. What is it?”

Cas shook his head. “Nothing. I just think it’s a _wonderful_ idea. You’ll get to do your favorite show with your best friend and partner. And if the final routine looks anything like what I just saw you doing, _everyone_ will want to take lessons from you.”

Dean flushed crimson. “You saw that?”

Cas nodded. “And it was _gorgeous_.”

Even the tips of Dean’s ears were pink, his gaze on the floor, but it was clear he was pleased. “Thanks.”

Cas gently kissed Dean’s forehead. “I mean it. God, Dean, you’re so damn good. I don’t know how you do it, but you’re so graceful and….and….”

Dean looked up at his husband. “And?” he prompted.

“……and free,” Cas finished. “You look free. Like nothing in the world could weigh you down, hold you back. Like you could fly.”

He was surprised to see the smile that spread across Dean’s face. Then the blonde was stepping in, arms wrapping around Cas’ neck as he pressed in for a soft, slow kiss.

When they pulled apart, Cas stared at Dean, waiting for some sort of explanation. Dean just smiled at him.

“The only time I feel more free than when I’m dancing is when I’m wrapped up in your arms.”

And just like that, Cas melted. A hand cupped the back of Dean’s head as he pulled him into a deep kiss, teeth clashing with the need behind it. Because Dean was right. When Dean had stumbled into his life, he officially changed it all. With Dean, Cas had everything. With Dean, Cas was free.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you like the new baby's full name! I'm pretty happy with it.
> 
> Dean's gonna be a teacher! I'm super excited. I actually have a real true dancer working with me to choreograph the 'Swan Lake' dance, so hopefully it'll be good.
> 
> As always, reviews make me a happy panda and I write faster.^^ <3
> 
> I'm trying, with some help from others, to get Jensen to release a cd, encouraging him to do so for charity. If you want to help, tweet to him at @jensenackles with the tag #jensencdforcharity and a message of your choice, encouraging him to put out a cd of his glorious voice!


	23. Chapter 23

The waiting room at the adoption agency was exactly as the two men remembered: a mixture of pregnant mothers and anxious parents. Castiel could remember being in their shoes the first time they were here, so nervous and hopeful as they waited for a child…..for Mary. Now that they were back, those old nerves were returning once again. Who knows when…..if….. _when_ …..they’d get another child. It hadn’t been a hugely long wait for Mary but it had been long enough. He couldn’t imagine going any longer. More than that, he couldn’t imagine how bad Dean would get if they had to wait any longer. God. The man was bad enough before. Cas didn’t want to think how bad it could get with an even longer wait. Though now Mary was around, and Dean had the opening of his dance studio to plan. That should keep him occupied.

Cas felt a poke in his side and he snapped out of his thoughts, turning to his husband. Dean was smiling at him, excitement lighting up those green eyes, and Cas couldn’t help a little laugh. He leaned in for a soft kiss. “Silly,” he murmured.

Dean laughed. “Hey! Why am I silly?”

“Just….so excited.”

“Of COURSE I’m excited.” Dean gave Cas’ shoulder a little shove. “We’re getting a kid!”

“Not yet,” Cas gently reminded. He didn’t want to rain on Dean’s parade but he also didn’t want to get his hopes up too high only to have them dashed when things took too long. But Dean was simply nodding.

“I know. But we’ll get him. Or her,” he amended, for they had to keep that possibility open as well. Cas smiled and nodded, gently stroking Dean’s cheek.

“We will.”

“Mr. and Mr. Winchester?”

Dean started at the familiar voice, head snapping to the doorway. There she was: Mrs. Phelps. The same woman who had helped them through the adoption process with Claire and Mary. The smile that broke across his face was so wide that it verged on painful.

He felt Cas’ hand on his shoulder, fisting in his shirt and yanking him to his feet. “Come on, you dork.” There was laughter in Cas’ voice, laughter at the way Dean’s happiness had practically struck him motionless, speechless for once.

“Oh, shut up.” But Dean didn’t sound at all threatening, especially when he tripped over his own feet, and Cas just laughed as they followed Mrs. Phelps into her office.

 

**~*~**

 

Everything was going much smoother the second time around. Mrs. Phelps had been happy to see them again, which was quite surprising considering how panicky Dean had been when they had adopted Mary. She inquired after Mary and THAT had probably been a bad idea, for both men whipped out their wallets and proceeded to show off photo after photo, but the woman had loved it, exclaiming over each picture.

When they explained what they wanted, that they’d prefer a boy but would take any child truly in need, Mrs. Phelps nodded in understanding. It was clear she had heard this before. “I understand completely,” she made a note on their papers, flipping through them. “Most of your information is still the same….we’ll just need to make a few changes, most specifically about Mary. If I remember your house correctly, you have plenty of room for a new baby. Will you be putting him in with Mary or setting up a separate nursery?”

“Oh, definitely a separate nursery.”

A nod. “Good.” She arched a brow. “Going to make any extensive renovations to that?” She was clearly referring to the hobbit hole Dean had made for Mary, and smiling at the memory. Dean’s cheeks flushed but he smiled back.

“Probably not. You’ll just have to wait and see when you come scope out the place.”

The woman laughed. “That I will.” She pulled out one of the papers from the stack. “So just fill this one out, then we’ll look over the rest to make sure no changes need to be made, and we’ll be all set.”

 

**~*~**

 

Both men were in good spirits when they got home. They had to stop and pick up Mary on the way and she spent the whole ride home chattering about her day at school.

When they got inside, Mary immediately ran off to her room to drop off her stuff and, most likely, to put on her jammies. Dean turned to Cas, who was sitting at the kitchen table, regarding his husband with a soft smile. “We should talk to her.” Cas nodded in agreement. “Mary?” 

Cas offered his hand and Dean accepted it, pulling Cas to his feet, and together the two headed into the living room. “Mary, baby, can you come here?”

Mary obediently trotted out of her room, clad in a pair of bright turquoise pajamas. “What is it?”

Dean crouched before their daughter. “You know how we’ve been talking about adopting a little brother for you? Or sister?” She nodded. “Well today we went down to the agency, the same place we went when we met Aunt Claire, the same place we got you.” He tugged a lock of her hair and she smiled. “We filled out the paperwork and now it’s official. You’re going to have a sibling.”

Mary was silent, looking between the two men, and it was difficult to say how she was feeling. “……okay,” she said at last.

“Okay?” Cas echoed.

She nodded. It seemed that was the most they were going to get out of her, but she didn’t seem upset, which was good. She probably just needed a while to adjust to the idea.

Dean glanced past her at her room, the open hobbit door, and his smile grew. “You know, your little brother’s gonna need a nursery.” There was a teasing tone to his voice. “Think we should give him your room?”

THAT got a reaction, Mary practically screaming “NO!” She LOVED that hobbit room. Dean couldn’t help it; he laughed and Cas hit him. 

“Don’t be mean to her.”

Dean stroked her Mary’s hair; his voice was soft and soothing as he murmured “I’m kidding, baby girl, I’m just kidding.” It took a few moments but Mary settled, though her lip poked out in a pout when she looked at her father. Chuckling, he ran his thumb over her lower lip. “I’m sorry. I would never give away your room, Mary. Never.” He gently kissed her forehead. “I promise.”

She stared at him for a moment, forehead creased as she judged the truthfulness of his statement. Seemingly satisfied, she nodded and gave him a kiss. He chuckled, ruffling her hair. “You go put all your stuff away, okay? I’ll get dinner ready.” Mary nodded and scurried off to her room.

Dean felt Castiel’s graceful fingers running through his hair and he turned to his husband, a smile on his face. Cas stroked his cheek. “She took that pretty well.”

Dean nodded as he rose to his feet. “Didn’t even get upset at the mention of a brother.”

Cas huffed a laugh. “Guess she’s starting to adjust to the idea.” He gave Dean a fleeting kiss. “Do you need help with dinner?”

Dean smiled. “I’d love some.”

 

**~*~**

 

It had been a month and no word from the agency, yet amazingly Dean wasn’t nearly as high-strung as he had been last time. He had begun baby-proofing the house almost as soon as they got home after their appointment with Mrs. Phelps, but his demeanor remained fairly calm. Now it was mid-September. Wonderfully, the weather was still warm and they were all having a barbecue at Sam and Sarah’s house. Dean was cooking, naturally. He had prepared most of the food and now he was at the grill, stoking the coals.

“How’re things coming over there?” Bobby called out. “We almost ready to cook?”

“Slow your roll, old man!” Dean grinned at the laughter that followed his words. “It’ll be ready when it’s ready.” 

“Sam?”

That voice. There was no mistaking that voice. Dean felt his spine stiffen. He turned, coming face to face with….

“…..John.”

For there he stood, John Winchester. He looked older than when last they saw him, face lined with wrinkles, but it was unmistakably him. He never turned his gaze in Dean’s direction, deliberately ignoring his oldest son; no, his eyes were focused elsewhere. A smile graced his lips. “Hello, Sam.”

 

**~tbc~**

 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh oh! Cliffhanger! DUN DUN DUN!!!!!
> 
> Review and the next chapter goes up faster. :P


	24. Chapter 24

If John Winchester realized that his oldest son had spoken to him, had called him by his first name, he gave no sign of it. But Dean would never call John “dad” again. John had lost that privilege. Besides, Bobby was his father now, and if he thought about it, the only father he had ever known. John had never been a real father to him in the first place. 

Sam was staring at John Winchester with wide eyes. “….dad…” Sarah was at his side, holding his arm protectively, supportively. She remembered John Winchester all too well. “You….why are you here?”

John’s eyes flicked downwards. Dean followed his gaze to where three year old Jared stood, clinging to his father’s pantleg, and realization set in. Jared. John was here to see Jared. How he knew about him, Dean didn’t know, but somehow he did.

“I just wanted to see your son.”  
Sam’s eyes widened and his hand went protectively to Jared’s head. “How….how did you even find out about him?”

John rifled in his pockets, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and holding it out. Sam took it and looked it over. His eyes widened with recognition. Dean was looking at him questioningly; Sam held the paper out to him. Dean took the proffered paper and recognized it immediately. It was an internet article about the cherry blossom festival they had all attended in New York this past spring and there was a photo of Sam, Sarah, and Jared. Jared was sitting on Sam’s shoulders, hands clutching at Sam’s long hair, and both father and son were laughing as Sarah looked up at them with a smile. Underneath the photo was a byline reading _**Sam, Sarah, and son Jared Winchester spend a sunny day at the Sakura Matsuri at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens.**_

Dean was clenching the paper in his hands, anger rising within him. John had found this article online and come back. He had come back here to see his grandchild. After losing custody of both sons, he dared to come back here and attempt to meet his grandson.

Sure enough, John was still looking at Jared, and smiling. “I saw you have a son.”

Sam’s gaze was steely. “I do. And you’re not going to meet him.”

Something flickered in John’s eyes. “I’m his grandfather.”

Sam shook his head. “No. You lost those privileges as soon as you hit Dean all those years ago.” John’s head twitched as though his instinct was to look at Dean but he refrained from doing so. “Who, by the way, has a child of his own.”

THAT got John’s attention, and he couldn’t avoid Dean any longer. He turned to his oldest son, and his expression was one of shock and disgust. “They let YOU have a kid?”

Dean felt a combination of embarrassment and rage bubbling within him. “No. They let US have a kid.” And he took Castiel’s hand, pulling him forward.

John looked upon them with disgust. “And you’re still with THIS faggot.”

If Dean had been feeling rage before, there were no words for the emotion rising in him now. He took a step towards his father, fists clenched, but Cas held him back. “Don’t you DARE call him that. Don’t you _DARE_.”

John looked as though he were about to smirk at Dean’s fury; he opened his mouth but he got no chance to speak for a tiny voice was speaking up. “Two?”

John’s eyes went wide; it looked as if he had seen a ghost, and he might as well have, for there was Mary, blonde hair falling in golden waves loose about her shoulders. She was wearing a pale blue dress that brought out the brilliant cerulean of her eyes, and at that moment, Dean knew just what John was thinking. Mary looked _exactly_ like a miniature version of his wife. “Mary?” he whispered.

No one had said Mary’s name….John had no way of knowing that Dean and Cas had named their child after Mary Winchester. No, he was seeing the ghost of his wife before him.  
Mary, of course, knew none of this. She only knew there was a stranger here, a man who until moments before had been looking at her fathers in not a nice way, speaking to them in a nasty tone of voice. She looked up at her fathers. “Two? One? Who is that?”

Dean looked from his daughter back to John. The man was still staring at Mary, looking as though someone had socked him one. Finally, for the first time, he looked at Dean, really looked at him. “Can I….” his voice was soft, almost strained. “Can I hold her?”

Cas felt fury filling him, a red hot rage. “You….” He could feel Dean looking at him, the surprise at Cas’ sudden anger, but he also knew Dean felt exactly the same as he did. “You will never get anywhere _NEAR_ our child.” 

John was taken aback at Castiel’s sudden interruption. Obviously he didn’t expect “the faggot” to speak up. He looked to Dean, but Dean’s eyes were narrowed as he regarded his father. He took Cas’ hand in a show of both comfort and solidarity; when he spoke up, his words were soft, his voice deadly. “Get out. And don’t you _EVER_ come back.”  
John looked to Sam, eyes pleading. “Sam…”

But Sam didn’t hesitate, agreeing with his brother. “Get out.”

Dean was almost surprised by John’s reaction. The man’s shoulders slumped; in a way he looked broken. But without another word he turned around and left. Dean immediately felt a wave of relief; he sank against Cas, who wrapped an arm around him, pressing a kiss to his temple. “You okay, babe?” Cas murmured. Dean nodded.

“Yea. I just….” he couldn’t find words. “….I thought I’d never seen him again.”

Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s hair. “I know. But it’s okay. I’m pretty damn sure that’s the last of it.” Dean sighed and nodded again.

“Yea.”

“Two?”

Dean looked down to where Mary was tugging at the hem of his shirt. He crouched down before her. “What is it, baby girl?”

“Who was that man?”

God. This was a question Dean had hoped he wouldn’t have to answer for a few more years. “That….” It was clear Dean was fumbling for words, for an explanation. “…..that was a very bad man.” Mary stared at him, clearly not satisfied with that explanation, and he sighed. "That's the man who raised me."

Mary's brow creased; she looked back and forth between Bobby and Dean in confusion. “Your daddy?"

Dean didn't have to look at Bobby to know there was heartbreak on his face, heartbreak he was trying desperately to hide. After all, John WAS Dean’s dad. But Dean also didn't have to pause for a second before shaking his head. "No," he answered firmly. " _This_ is my dad." One finger pointed at Bobby; the old man's face filled with surprise. "That man may have raised me and Sam but Bobby is my dad. Bobby will _always_ be my dad."

The look of utter confusion had eased from Mary's brow but she still didn't look as if she fully understood. He stroked her cheek with a smile. "I'll explain it when you're older."  
THAT satisfied her, and with a kiss to Dean’s cheek, she ran back out into the yard. Dean watched her go with a smile, rising to his feet with a sigh. He could feel someone’s gaze upon him and he turned.

Bobby was sitting on the porch, watching him. Dean didn’t know what to say. He walked across the yard, up the steps of the porch. Bobby rose to his feet. His face was flushed. “Dean…”

Dean didn’t wait for Bobby to finish. “I meant every word, Bobby.”

Bobby didn’t have words and he didn’t waste time trying to find them. Instead he yanked Dean into a crushing hug.

Dean could feel hot pinpricks of tears burning his eyes. His father….his family….he didn’t know how he ever got so lucky.

When they separated, Dean was surprised to see that he wasn’t the only one who was teary-eyed. And Bobby wasn’t one to cry. Ever. But the man smiled at him, eyes wet, voice soft as he said “love you, boy.”

Dean stared, eyes huge. Those were words he didn’t often hear. He certainly never heard them from his own father, and while he knew Bobby felt them, he wasn’t a man to say them aloud….not often. But there was no way Dean couldn’t say them in return, smiling. “I love you too…dad.”

 

**~*~**

 

“Cas, I’m not gonna argue this any longer.”

“Oh, good,” Cas smiled. “Guess that means I win.”

“Hey.” Dean frowned. Cas just smiled innocently at him and there was no way Dean could frown at that face. He shook his head, smiling. “SUCH a brat.”

“You know it.” Cas kissed Dean, who pressed forward, deepening the kiss, and Cas gave his lower lip a little nip as he pulled away. “But seriously, Dean, you’re not giving up your study.”

“Why not?” Dean protested. “The baby needs a nursery!”

“He does,” Cas nodded. “But you need your office. You need to work, Dean—“

“So do you!” Dean interjected. Cas rolled his eyes.

“Dean, I don’t need my studio to do my work. I can set up somewhere else. Or even just do some work at the school.”

Dean’s eyes shot open wide. “NO! No, Cas, no. You’re not doing your work at school. I’m not losing time with you like that.”

Amazingly, Cas didn’t object. Instead, the most beautiful smile melted over his face. His arms wrapped around Dean’s neck and he pulled the blonde in for a kiss. “I love you so much,” he murmured.

Dean looked surprised, then he huffed a laugh. “I love you too, sweetheart.”

Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s short hair, as always relishing in the short fuzz at the back of his head. “I mean it, though…..about your office.” Dean opened his mouth but Cas rushed on before Dean could continue. “I’m serious. Most times you work late into the night, sometimes into the morning. You need that privacy.”

Dean fell silent, green eyes pensive, and Cas knew that Dean knew he was right. The blonde chewed his lower lip. Finally, he nodded. “Okay,” he said. Cas smiled, but Dean held up a finger. “ _If_ ,” he continued, “ _if_ , you let me renovate my studio downstairs. Turn half of it into an art studio for you.”

Cas looked as if he wanted to object but Dean didn’t let him. “I mean it, Cas. I’m going to have the dance studio outside, so I’ll have all the dance space I need. And think about it. This way we can be together as we work. Work,” he smiled as he said the word. Neither of them thought of these pursuits as work. Art and dance were nothing but pure pleasure to them.

But Cas was smiling, nodding. “Okay,” he said. “Working together. I like that.”

Dean gave him a gentle kiss, lips brushing as he murmured “me too.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was almost four months since they had been to the agency and the renovations were coming along wonderfully. Prior to now, the indoor stairs that lead to the second floor of the garage were rough, the second floor itself nothing more than an unfinished room, an attic. Things were beginning to fall into place. The garage itself had been refurbished and tidied, more storage space put in so things were organized and, after much discussion, a separate, covered staircase was built on the outside. This way the children wouldn’t have to enter through the garage, wouldn’t risk tripping over any odds and ends or, God forbid, damage Dean’s car. The stairs were almost finished, a nice wooden floor being put in upstairs. Soon it would be varnished, smooth and polished. Dean couldn’t wait. He wanted to get in there and decorate.

There was a knock at the front door and his brow furrowed. It was 9:30 at night. Who would be there that late? He looked at Cas, who shrugged, heading to the door. “Benny!”

Dean’s eyes widened in surprise; Benny’s face was drawn, eyes red. “Can I come in?”

“Oh!” Cas stepped out of the way, gesturing, and Benny stepped past him. “Please, sit.” Benny sank into a chair and Cas immediately headed to the fridge to get him a beer.

“Benny, man…” Dean couldn’t get over how bad his friend looked. “What happened?”

Benny looked like all the wind had been taken out of him. “We broke up. Andrea and I broke up.”

Dean wished he could say he was surprised, but he wasn’t. Andrea and Benny had broken up and started anew many times, and this time he had seen it coming. Not only that, this time, he thought it was for good. “I’m sorry, Benny.”

Cas returned, offering a beer to Benny, who took it gratefully. “What happened?”

Benny shook his head. “She was cheating on me.”

_That_ , on the other hand, _that_ gave Dean a shock. “What??”

Benny took a long pull at his beer. “Cheating. With some asshole named Sorento.”

Dean wracked his brain but he couldn’t think of anyone named Sorento. “Pompous fucking name.”

That coaxed a smile out of Benny. “Yeah,” he agreed. “It is. Anyway,” he shrugged a shoulder, “I kinda saw it coming. She’d been sneaking around. I knew something was wrong.”

Both Dean and Cas felt a flush of anger. They had both liked Andrea, both been friends with her, but to cheat on Benny? _That_ was unforgiveable. 

Dean wasn’t good with the touchy-feely crap, never had been unless it was with Sammy or Cas, but for Benny, he would try. He patted Benny on the shoulder. The man looked up in surprise at that reassuring if somewhat awkward pat. “I’m sorry, Benny. That was a horrible thing to do. I like her….liked her….but to do something like that? She doesn’t deserve you.”

Benny cracked a smile. “Thanks, Dean.”

Dean returned the smile, shoulders shrugging when the silence became awkward. “Hey, Cas, got a beer for me?”

Cas laughed. “Get your own damn beer, lazy.” But he obligingly got two more beers, returning to the table and offering one to his husband.

Dean clinked his beer against Benny’s and the three men drank long into the night. By the time Benny fell asleep on their sofa, he was smiling again. And really, that was all Dean could ask for. 

 

**~*~**

 

It was going on six months now and still no real word about a baby. The two men were at the agency today for a routine appointment with Mrs. Phelps. The news she had surprised them.

“…..I don’t understand,” Cas said slowly. Mrs. Phelps had that look again, the one she’d had with Mary when she’d given them the news that parents had taken issue with Dean’s background information.

“So far, most parents have been fine with your information. It’s just….” she paused, then sighed. “They don’t like the idea of giving you a boy.”

The men were silent. “…..just a boy?” Dean asked at last. “So a girl would be fine?”

“I’m not certain—“ Mrs. Phelps began, but Dean wasn’t finished.

“What, do they think it’s okay for the fags to have a girl cuz we can’t gay her up, she already likes girly stuff, but a boy, oh no, a boy might catch our fag disease.”

Cas tried to bite back a snort of laughter but he wasn’t completely successful. Dean turned mirthful eyes in his direction. Even Mrs. Phelps was trying to look serious but failing. 

“I honestly don’t know if that’s the issue,” she answered. “But so far, no family has wanted to give you a boy.”

The two men looked at each other, and Dean heaved a sigh. “Well,” Cas said. “We’ll wait. Unless you really need to place a child, we’ll wait for a boy.”

Mrs. Phelps smiled, nodding. “Okay.”

 

**~*~**

 

“I can’t believe this.”

Dean glanced at Cas, sitting in the passenger seat of the Impala. “What.”

“No one wants us to adopt a boy!” Cas exclaimed the words in a total ‘duh’ tone, as though Dean was missing the obvious point.

“Yea? So?” Dean patted Cas’ knee reassuringly. “It’ll work out, baby.”

Cas regarded Dean strangely. “You’re taking this all remarkably well. It’s truly bizarre.” Dean grinned.

“Guess I learned my lesson the first time around.”

“Thank GOD.”

“Hey!” Dean laughed. “Brat.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Dean shook his head, grinning as he pulled into the driveway.

“You talk to Cindy lately?”

The blonde nodded as he shut the car door. “She says she should be here by the end of the month.”

“That’s good.”

Dean looked up at the garage. It was fully remodeled now, the inside almost finished. He smiled. “Yea…..it’s good.”

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't make you wait TOO long, dearies. I hope you don't hate me for bringing Jackass John back. He shant return, never fear. <3
> 
> The Sakura Matsuri is a real thing and it's BEAUTIFUL. Cherry blossoms everywhere.


	25. Chapter 25

Dean threw the door open. “Cindy!”

The girl laughed. “Hey, partner!” She looked wonderful…long blonde hair in a single ponytail, skin tanned from all that California sun. Her green eyes were sparkling with happiness. “Get over here and give me a hug!”

“You get over HERE,” Dean ordered. “Get that ass in the house.” Laughing, Cindy obeyed, stepping into the house and into Dean’s arms for a crushing hug. 

Cas smiled as he watched the two old friends embrace. The two dancers saw each other almost every week via the Skype communication but they hadn’t seen each other in _person_ for about eight years now. This felt _amazing_. “Hi, Cindy.”

The girl pulled away from Dean and flashed Cas a brilliant smile. “Hey, Cas.” Then she was hugging him almost as tight as she’d hugged Dean and he choked with an “oof”, laughing. “How’ve you guys been?”

“Good. How was the trip here?”

Cindy heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes. “Hell. I would’ve liked it much better if I could’ve just flown. But I had too much stuff I didn’t want to leave behind. My furniture may be crappy but I’m attached.”

Cas smiled. “I understand completely.” He thought fondly of the furniture they still had in their living room, the tables Dean had built for their first apartment at UCLA.

As if reading his mind, Cindy arched a brow. “Might we be talking about Dean’s gorgeous tables?”

Cas glanced at Dean. The man was flushing. “We might indeed.”

“I’m glad to know you still have those. I liked them.”

“Oi.” Dean was frowning. “Shut up. Both of you.”

Cindy laughed. “So he’s still a shy little boy, huh.”

“Oh, you have NO idea.” Cas grinned, knowing the words would get to Dean more than anything. And he was right.

“Oh my God SHUT UP.”

Both Cas and Cindy burst into laughter; Dean glowered. “I hate you both.”

“Aww, you LOVE me.” Cindy pinched Dean’s cheek--- hard.

At that moment there was a knock on the still-open door. “Dean? Cas?” That Southern drawl was unmistakable.

“Benny!” Dean turned to the door, rubbing his now-sore cheek. The other man was looking much better than he had the month before, that night he showed up at their house, broken after Andrea had dumped him. Dean clasped his hand. “Good to see you.”

“Good to see _you_ , brother.” That smile was back, the one that always put everyone at ease. Then his face froze, blue eyes widening ever so slightly.

Dean’s brow furrowed, puzzled. “Benny?” He realized the man was focused behind him and he turned to see what it was that had caught his attention.

Cindy. The pretty blonde was just behind Dean and was regarding Benny just as intently as the man was eyeing her. After a moment, her lips quirked in a tiny smile. Dean knew that smile after his four years at UCLA. He looked back at Benny and saw that his face had relaxed and a pink flush had risen in his cheeks; he managed a smile. It was small but it had all of that Benny charm.

Dean felt a tiny flutter of amusement. Shy Benny wasn’t something one saw often. But he also wasn’t entirely certain how to feel about this. Clearly Benny was interested in Cindy and it looked as if Cindy might be interested in Benny as well. But what if they tried and things didn’t work out? Would the whole dynamic of their group get screwed up?

But just one more look at the expression on Benny’s face and Dean knew he couldn’t worry about that. If there was a chance this could make Benny happy, make Cindy happy….he would support them in any way he could.

“Benny, this is Cindy.” He stepped out of the way so the two could see each other fully. “Cindy, Benny. Benny, Cindy was my dance partner at UCLA. You’ve seen plenty of video of her.”

Benny’s eyes widened with recognition. “Oh! You…..I recognize you. You’re _wonderful_.”

Cindy blushed. Honest to God _blushed_. In all their time at school together, Dean had barely EVER seen Cindy blush. She wasn’t the type. She was confident, tough as nails and sassy, just like Charlie and Jo. But now here she was, rosy cheeked in the face of Benny’s compliment. “Thank you.”

“Cindy, Benny was in shop class with me in high school….amongst others.” Dean looked to Benny with a smile. “He came to help me when those boys beat me up at the soccer game.”

Benny looked at Dean, surprised at the easy sharing of information. The fact that this was something he had opened up about, something he talked about so easily…..that was a clear sign that Dean trusted Cindy, to let her know about one of the worst experiences of his life.

Cindy was regarding Benny with new respect. “That….” She was fumbling; there seemed to be something she wanted to ask but she was unable to find the words. “….can I hug you?” 

Benny couldn’t have looked more surprised. After a moment he let out a bark of laughter and held out his arms. Cindy stepped into them but got more than she bargained for--- far more. Benny was a teddy bear but he was also a _big_ bear and he proved it by giving her a much more crushing hug than she’d received from Dean, going so far as to pick her up off her feet. She was laughing breathlessly when he set her back down.

“ _Damn_ , Dean,” Cindy looked his way. “He hugs tighter than you.”

Cas laughed; Dean gave him a shove before returning his attention to Cindy. “Yea, well he’s bigger than me.”

Cindy gave Benny a once-over, eyes lingering on his built chest and strong arms. “You can say _that_ again.”

Cas bit back a snort of laughter. Dean shook his head with a grin, opening his mouth to speak but then…. “Benny, are you blushing?”

“NO.” The answer was immediate but the flush on Benny’s cheeks was unmistakable. Dean couldn’t stop grinning.

“Well, what brings you here, Benny?”

Benny shook his head. “Nothing much. Just thought I’d see what you two were up to today.”

Dean nodded in Cindy’s direction. “Just going to help Cindy move in.”

Benny looked surprised. “You….that’s YOUR truck outside? You’re moving up here to Connecticut? From California?” She nodded.

“Want to be closer to New York. Try out the East Coast for some better dancing opportunities.”

Benny looked surprisingly pleased. “You….” Again, he was unmistakably blushing. “Well, can I help?”

Cindy looked surprised. Dean wasn’t surprised at all. Benny was clearly into her. “You….you want to help?”

Benny nodded somewhat shyly. “I’d love to.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was several hours before they were done….several LESS hours than Dean had expected it to take. Benny was putting in his very best effort, lifting as much as was physically possible….probably more than he should have. Still, those heavy loads provided ample opportunities to flex his muscles, and though it was likely Cindy knew what he was doing, she definitely appreciated the show.

“Well,” Dean sank back onto the couch, “that went faster than I expected.”

“Me too.” Cindy smiled appreciatively at Benny. “Thank you for the extra help.”

Benny returned the smile. “Glad to be of service.”

Dean looked at Cas, arching a brow. Cas had to bite back a smile, giving his husband a look which clearly said “shh”. It was all Dean could to do stifle a laugh. “Well,” he said. “Anyone like a beer? Got a bunch chilling in the cooler in the car.”

“Oh God, you’re amazing,” Cindy practically moaned with happiness. “I could kiss you.”

“Hey.” Cas wrapped his arms possessively around Dean. “Stay back.”

Cindy laughed. “Oh, I think I can handle that.” Her eyes glanced in Benny’s direction. He flushed beneath that eye contact but he didn’t break her gaze, a smile gracing his face.

“Think you may need any more help around here?" He sounded far more confident than before. "Rearranging furniture, setting up the internet?”

Dean rolled his eyes even as Cindy smiled. “That would be lovely.” She glared at Dean. “What happened to that beer?”

“Getting it now.” He turned away as Cindy broke into conversation with Cas; as he passed Benny he paused just long enough to mutter “whiiiipppped”.

Benny looked indignant. “Hey!”

Dean grinned. “Just getting payback for all the times you called me whipped in high school.”

Benny rolled his eyes. “Oh, come on. You were TOTALLY whipped.”

Dean looked over to where Cas and Cindy sat, talking animatedly, happiness written in every inch of the brunette’s face. He smiled. “Still am.”

 

**~*~**

 

“Dean, this looks _amazing!_ ”

Dean smiled, looking at the room around him. The studio was finished at last, the floor polished to a gleaming finish, mirrors stretched along one wall, a barre on the other. There was a fancy sound system in one corner of the room. It was gorgeous, and he couldn’t stop smiling. His face hurt from smiling so wide. “It does, doesn’t it.”

Cindy nodded. “Hey.” She gestured to the wall. “You should put some art up over there.” She turned her attention to Cas, a smile on her face. “Or paint some.”

Dean didn’t have to look at his husband to know that Castiel’s face had lit up in delight at the suggestion, but of course he did anyway. The smile there had set his whole face aglow; he eyed Dean hopefully. The blonde couldn’t help but laugh.

“Fine,” he said, without waiting for a question, “you can put some art on the walls.”

Dean barely had a second to register the joy on Castiel’s face before he had arms around his neck and was being kissed within an inch of his life. He laughed into the kiss. “Someone’s excited.”

“You have no idea,” the words were murmured against Dean’s lips; the blonde let out a chuckle.

“Well, you’ve got lots of time to finish it. Now that Cindy’s here, we need to organize the dancing together, then put on the show. Plenty of time to get some painting done.”

Cas gave Dean another kiss. “Thank you,” he said softly. Dean ran a hand through Castiel’s silky hair.

“You’re welcome, baby.”

“Aww, aren’t you two just the cutest thing.”

Dean glowered at Cindy. “Shut your face.” She only laughed. “Well, let’s get out of here and get some dinner, yea? We can start on the painting and dancing tomorrow.”

Cas’ fingers laced with his, gave his hand a squeeze. “That sounds like a great plan.”

 

**~*~**

 

Dean finished a pirouette and eased into a graceful pose at the exact same moment as Cindy did, their hands meeting in a perfect mirror. Everything was coming together. The routine was looking good, on both sides and as a whole.

The finish was smooth and perfect; Cindy smiled at Dean. He couldn’t help but return the expression. “It looks great.”

“Perfect,” she corrected. “It looks _perfect_.” His smile grew; he opened his mouth to reply but didn’t get the chance, for there came the thundering of feet and then Cas was charging down the stairs and into the basement studio.

“Dean!” He looked overjoyed, and it didn’t take a genius to guess why. Dean couldn’t help but chuckle.

“You all done painting?” Cas nodded eagerly. “Well, then.” Dean stepped in for a kiss. “Let’s go check it out.”

It was only a short walk and one flight of stairs away to reach the dance studio. It was as polished as Dean had remembered (he hadn’t been in it for a while….Cas wouldn’t let him inside until all the painting was finished). But now the walls were adorned with artwork. The longest wall, the one that held the barre, had a lovely mural of a seascape as seen out a window. The other wall….

Dean did a double-take. The other wall had a painting of two dancers. It was eerily realistic, to the point where it almost looked like a photograph, and it was clearly a painting of Dean and Cindy.

“That’s so lovely!” Cindy was delighted with it. Dean sighed.

“Cas?” He turned to his husband. Cas already looked properly abashed, even before Dean said anything. “Why is my face on the wall of my studio?

Cas scuffed the floor with his toe. It was impossibly adorable. “You make a great model,” he mumbled.

Dean felt his heart flutter. He glanced at Cindy and saw the silent “aww!” on her face. Shaking his head, he pulled Cas into his arms, kissing his forehead. “You’re adorable, you know that?”

“Am not.” The words were muffled against Dean’s shoulder. Dean just stroked his hair.

“Are too.” He pressed another kiss to the top of Castiel’s head. “You’re adorable and I love you.”

Cas looked up, big blue eyes staring hopefully up at Dean. “So the painting can stay?”

Dean chuckled. “The painting can stay.” Cas’ eyes lit up; his hands fisted in the front of Dean’s shirt and he yanked the blonde into a hard kiss, Dean laughing all the time.

“You’re ridiculous,” he said. “As if I would say no.”

Cas smiled. “You do spoil me.”

Dean stroked his hair. “I try.” He looked over Cas’ shoulder at the paintings on the walls, at Cindy smiling at the two of them, felt his husband in his arms, and he felt all the pieces coming together. The studio was finished, the routine equally so. Fliers were up advertising both the classes and the show that Dean and Cindy would be putting on, and word had been gathering around town. Dean gave Cas another tight squeeze, felt his husband’s lips brush his cheek in a gentle kiss, and he knew there was nowhere in the world he’d rather be. 

 

**~tbc~**


	26. Chapter 26

Cindy peeked out from behind the heavy green curtain. The auditorium was filling up, and filling up fast. Dean had gotten permission to use the hall at the local elementary school, where Mary and Jared went. It was a large room with a good sized stage. Dean had taken measurements a while ago and used tape to mark the size off up in the studio at home so that the two of them could ensure they were practicing in the right size space. She felt good about it all.

“Hey.” Cindy turned; Dean was watching her with a smile. “You okay?”

She returned the smile, nodding. “You’ve got a big crowd out there.”

He flushed happily. “Yea.” A hint of anxiety came over his face. “I hope they like it.”

Cindy shook her head, a touch of exasperation in her eyes. “They will. They’ll love it.”

The words seemed to calm Dean somewhat, his shoulders relaxing. Then the lights dimmed and he looked at her, those nerves again present. But he shook his head, forcing them away, and offered his hand with a smile. “Ready?”

Cindy accepted. “Ready.”

 

**~*~**

 

The auditorium was almost completely full, only a few empty seats visible. The audience broke into applause as the duo came into view. Dean guided Cindy forward, leading her into a curtsy. Then, they took their positions and waited for the music to begin. 

As soon as the music started, all of Dean’s nerves vanished. Dancing was like that for him…had been from the start. He would freak out like crazy before the performance, but once he began to dance, he felt completely at ease.

Cindy was smiling, and they were moving in perfect unison. A pirouette en dedans, ending in an arabesque, their arms reaching out to each other in a perfect mirror. The exact same number of fouettés executed in unison. A circle of jetes that still managed to match each other, despite the speed of their movements.

They finished right on the final notes of the song, Dean on his knees, reaching longingly for Cindy as she cupped his face in her hands, staring lovingly down at him.

The applause was deafening. Cindy could feel Dean’s face flushing happily, his cheeks burning. He took Cindy’s hands in his and brought them to his lips, kissing them, then rose to his feet and led her in a curtsy, taking a bow himself.

The applause wasn’t dying down, and neither dancer could stop smiling. But Dean had yet to do his solo number. Cindy gave him a kiss on the cheek and left the stage.

Now that the number was done, those nerves fluttered in Dean’s stomach again. Taking a deep breath, he stepped once more to center stage. Seeing this, the applause began to die down, the audience settling. Dean glanced in front of the stage, where Cas was seated at the piano, waiting to play the music, and gave a nod. With a smile, Cas nodded back, and began to play.

Again the nerves faded as Dean began dancing. He truly felt at home when he danced. A jete croise an avant, a brise vole, a grande cabriole fouettee…. when he danced, he felt like he was flying. And today more than ever, he put everything he had into his dancing. This dance was the most important of his life. This dance would get him students.

It all seemed to go bye in a flash, and Dean nearly gasped at the seeming suddenness of it all when it ended. The applause shocked him and his head jerked up, wide, startled eyes flashing around the room. He looked to Castiel. The man was looking at Dean, so proud. In an instant, Dean was off the stage and in his husband’s arms, kissing him. He didn’t stop to think about whether or not he should, whether it would be bad for business; all he knew was that he wanted to kiss his husband. Anyway, most everyone in the town knew about the two men. It should come as no surprise to see them kissing.

Cas was smiling at him, those blue eyes so happy and proud. “You were _amazing_ , baby.” The applause was fading now; Cas gave Dean a little shove. “Go make your speech.”

Blushing happily, Dean gave Cas one more kiss and then moved up front, standing before the stage. “Hey, everyone.” All noise died down. “I want to thank you for coming out today, and for all your support. Me and my partner really….” He broke off. “Cindy? Cindy, where are you? Get your butt out here.” There was some laughter as Cindy appeared from backstage, a grin on her face. Dean gestured to her. “My friend Cindy, and dance partner from college. She just moved here from California and kindly agreed to help me out. So both of us want to thank you for coming out here for the two of us.” 

Cindy swatted his shoulder and he looked at her questioningly. She gave him a meaningful look and his mouth formed a small ‘o’ as realization set in. He turned back to the audience.

“Cindy won’t be an official teacher at my school, though she WILL be assisting me on some occasions. So do not sign up if Cindy is your reason for doing so.” Cindy gave him a tight hug from the side. He smiled and patted her arm. “Now, there’s a table in the back of the room that has some business cards and also some papers with more information. There will also be a paper where you can put down your name and email if you want to be put on a mailing list. There will be an open house on the 20th, at 3:30 in the afternoon.” He smiled. “I hope to see you there.”

There was another round of applause, and Dean felt his cheeks flushing again. He looked to Cindy. With a smile, she pushed him into his husband’s arms. Cas caught him, laughing. Dean grinned and gave Castiel a kiss. “I love you.”

Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s hair, smiling. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

The men didn’t linger long at the school. A few parents had questions for Dean and he was more than happy to talk to them. Interest meant students. By the time they left, he was overflowing with happiness, a smile gracing his face, and Cas couldn’t help but smile for him.

Cindy had returned to her home for the night, accompanied by Benny (it hadn’t taken long for the two of them to get together, and so far everything was going wonderfully). The sky was just beginning to darken when Dean and Cas arrived home to the light blinking on the answering machine.

“Hey, we’ve got a message,” Dean called out as he headed to their room to drop off his dance bag. Cas moved to the machine and pressed the button. With a tiny beep, it began to play.

“Hello, boys, this is Mrs. Phelps.”

Immediately, all noises from the bedroom ceased; Dean was back down the hall in a flash, eyes huge.

“I have some news I think you’ll want to hear. Give me a call when you get this. I’ll be in tonight until six.”

Both men’s eyes immediately zeroed in on the clock. It was quarter of. Cas grabbed for the phone, fingers shaking as he punched in the number. It only took three rings before the woman answered but it felt like forever. “Hello? Hello, Mrs. Phelps…it’s Castiel Winchester. Hi. You said…you said you have news?” His voice was tinged with anxiety, almost fear. Then his face went white and Dean felt his stomach drop. He knew that look. Anyone else would think that expression was bad but no, that was a happy face. “ _Really?_ We….” And now Cas was pulling a Dean move, nodding even though there was no way Mrs. Phelps could see him through the phone. “Yes. Yes, I’ll speak to him and figure out what time is good. Thank you. Thank you so SO much.” Then he was hanging up the phone and turning to his husband, eyes huge, words barely audible as he spoke, voice shaking. “We got a boy.”

Dean didn’t know the last time he had felt so happy since they had gotten Mary, since he had held her for the first time. Before it even registered what he was doing, he was letting out a whoop of joy and jumping into Castiel’s arms, legs wrapping around his waist. Startled, Cas caught Dean with a laugh and spun him in a circle, kissing him. Dean pulled away just enough to press their foreheads together, meeting those blue eyes from a mere inch away. “We’re getting a boy.”

Cas nodded, their heads moving in unison, and then something changed in his eyes, that happiness tinged with heat, and Dean found himself being slammed up against the wall and kissed hard, Cas plundering his mouth. He let out an “mmph” of surprise but he certainly wasn’t going to argue, arms wrapping around Castiel’s neck and tangling in his messy hair as he pressed forward even harder. They were getting their child. All he wanted to do was have Cas carry him off to bed and fuck him like—

“Ahem.” A voice interrupted his thoughts and the two men pulled apart, looking to the door. Charlie stood there, a brow arched. Cas set Dean down, their bodies running together as he did so, and Dean bit back a whine…it felt better than it had any right to. Charlie smirked at them. “I was coming to congratulate you on the performance but I see you’re otherwise occupied.”

Dean felt his cheeks flush ever so slightly at the teasing but he couldn’t be upset, not with the news they’d just received. He was too damn happy to be embarrassed by that teasing smile. And luckily, it didn’t seem as though Charlie were going to press matters. He didn’t feel like explaining tonight. All he wanted was Cas, and then a quiet night spent sleeping in his husband’s arms. They could tell everyone the good news tomorrow. But fuck. Mary. They couldn’t do anything with Mary around.

But it was as if Charlie read his mind. "Would you two like it if Mary came to our place for a sleepover tonight?"

A wave of relief swept over both men. “That would be amazing, Charlie.” Cas was smiling. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” Charlie gestured down the hall towards Mary’s room. “You want me to just grab some clothes for her?”

“That would be awesome; thanks.” Dean watched Charlie go; then, he felt hot breath against his ear as Cas leaned in to whisper to him.

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard tonight.” 

Dean moaned at the words. “FUCK, Cas.”

There was a chuckle, the sound absolutely FILTHY. “That’s the idea.” There was a look in Cas’ eyes, a smile on his face, the kind that always provided trouble of the best sort. 

Charlie seemed to take absolutely FOREVER, Dean fidgeting as he waited for her to leave. While he appreciated what she was doing more than he could say, all he wanted was to be alone with his husband. Castiel’s words had started a fire low in his belly, and it was steadily growing with each passing minute. If Dean didn’t get the man alone soon, he was going to lose his mind.

Finally Charlie left with a Vulcan salute and a “Peace out, bitches,” her traditional goodbye. Dean didn’t have to wait long. The instant Charlie was gone, the door shutting behind her, Dean found himself once again swept off his feet, his back slamming against the wall as Cas claimed his mouth in a bruising kiss.

He moaned into Cas’ mouth, fingers digging into Castiel’s shoulders hard enough to leave marks. He was panting by the time Castiel pulled away. The man’s cheeks were flushed, eyes dizzy with lust. “Bedroom,” Cas managed.

Dean honestly wasn’t sure how they made it to the bedroom but before he knew it, Cas was depositing him onto the bed where he landed with a slight bounce, limbs splaying. Cas was looking down at him as though he wanted to eat him alive. “Clothes,” he whispered. “Take off your Goddamn clothes.” Then Cas was pulling his shirt up and off, tossing it aside, and Dean’s mouth suddenly felt incredibly dry.

“Take your damn pants off.” Cas ordered. But he wasn’t waiting, crawling onto the bed and fumbling with the button on Dean’s jeans, yanking down the zipper. Then he groaned.

“What?” Dean’s voice was breathless; he propped himself up on his elbows.

“I forgot you put your jeans on over your tights.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh. “Aww, poor baby,” his voice was exaggeratedly pitying. “You have to take two extra minutes to strip off a second layer.”

He was taken aback to see Castiel’s eyes darken; then his jeans were being ripped off and tossed aside. He yelped as the tights followed. “Oi!”

Cas pinned him, leaning in so they were mere inches apart. “You were saying something about two minutes?”

Dean was staring up at Cas in surprise. Slowly, a smile spread over his face. “I stand corrected.” He didn’t wait for Cas to make another move; grabbing a handful of brown hair, he yanked the other man into a kiss, loving the surprised “mmph” he startled out of Cas.

He could feel Cas shifting atop him, wriggling out of his own pants, the dress slacks Dean loved so much. Those slim fingers, so graceful dancing over a piano’s keys, ran down Dean’s chest, thumbs brushing over Dean’s nipples. Dean hissed. Cas pulled away, smiling down at Dean through eyes hooded with heat. “You like that?”

Dean tried his best to glare but couldn’t manage it. “You know I do.”

Cas chuckled, doing it again, simultaneously shifting in Dean’s lap so he could rub their cocks together. Dean gasped, hands flying to Castiel’s waist. “That. Do that again.”

Under normal circumstances, Cas would have liked to tease Dean some more. Not today. He was too Goddamn happy, and Dean just looked too Goddamn beautiful. He rocked his hips, rubbing their cocks together once again, loving the way Dean’s eyes slipped shut, head tipping back to expose his throat as he moaned. Cas’ hand, as if of its own volition, ran over Dean’s chest, up his throat to cup his face. Green eyes blinked open to look at him through long lashes.

“God.” There was wonder in his voice that he didn’t even realize was there. Dean’s brow furrowed ever so slightly in puzzlement; he covered Castiel’s hand with his own, cupping it to his face.

“What?”

Cas shook his head. “You.” His thumb brushed Dean’s cheek; he smiled. “You really are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

Immediately, Dean’s cheeks flushed crimson, as Castiel knew they would. Dean never had been good at receiving compliments. Not from Cas. It was as if the love that they shared made the compliments matter that much more, and thus made them that much harder to accept. It was as frustrating as it was endearing.

“Hush,” Dean said, and he turned into Cas’ hand, simultaneously hiding his face and kissing Cas’ palm. It was beyond adorable and Cas couldn’t help but laugh, leaning in to steal a kiss. Dean nipped his lip in admonishment but it felt good more than anything else and Cas hummed happily, pressing closer. Dean wrapped a leg around his waist and rocked up against him. Cas could feel Dean’s cock, slick with precum, rubbing against his own, and he broke away from the kiss with a gasp.

“Dean.”

“Mm?” Dean rolled his hips upwards again and it took everything Cas had to bite back a groan. He nuzzled into the curve of Dean’s throat, just behind his ear, right where he knew Dean liked it.

“Wanna fuck you.”

He could feel Dean shiver at the words and then the blonde was nodding almost frantically. “Please.”

Cas let his hand trail lightly down Dean’s thigh, stroking over the man’s backside, and he felt Dean tense. “Cas…” Cas pressed his fingers ever so lightly against Dean’s perineum and Dean gasped, hands grabbing Castiel’s shoulders. “Cas!”

Cas chuckled. “I like that reaction.”

“Bastard!” But Dean’s voice was too breathless to sound angry. “Quit teasing and get your fingers inside me.”

But Cas didn’t have to be told twice. He was already digging through the bedside table drawer, returning with the lube. “Way ahead of you, babe.”

“Not.” Dean watched as Cas slicked up his fingers. “If you were ahead of me, you’d be inside me already.”

Cas laughed. “Okay okay. Bossy.” One slick fingertip circled Dean’s tight entrance and then pressed in. Dean let out a happy sound and immediately rocked back, seeking more. Cas put a hand on his hip, holding him in place, and Dean whined in frustration. Cas chuckled. “Impatient today.”

“Like you aren’t.”

It was true. Cas might be hiding it better but he wanted nothing more than to bury himself in the tight heat of Dean’s body. Feeling Dean’s body clenching around his fingers was already sending a thrill running through him; his free hand slipped down his body, fingers lightly teasing over his dick, and he hissed. He was so hard, so sensitive, that it hurt.

“What?” Dean pushed himself to his elbows to look at Castiel. His flush went all the way from his cheeks down to his chest. It was ridiculously lovely. Cas shook his head.

“Nothing.” He wrapped his hand around the base of his cock to stave back the surge of feelings threatening to overcome him. Instead he leaned down, letting his tongue trace a trail over Dean’s chest, lave across a nipple. The resulting moan rolled over his skin like velvet.

“Cas.” Dean’s tone of voice was plaintive and he didn’t have to say more than Cas’ name…..Castiel knew exactly what he wanted. He wanted to be fucked, and didn’t care that he wasn’t ready. Cas leaned in and gave him a kiss, simultaneously pressing in a third finger.

“Almost, baby.” He loved the moan that burst from Dean’s lips, both pleasured and frustrated. “No. No, you’re going to wait. You’re going to wait like a good little boy and then, if you behave yourself, I’m going to fuck you into the mattress.”

This time the sound was definitely a whimper, the words “oh, _God_ ,” barely audible, and Cas smiled, nipping Dean’s throat and gently worrying at the soft flesh. Dean was a mess, whimpering and whining and _fuck_.

“ _Jesus_ , baby.” Cas could barely get the words out. “You gotta stop. Or I’m gonna lose it.”

Dean’s hands released their grasp on the bedsheet and clutched at Castiel’s shoulders. “Then fuck me.”

Oh God. Cas didn’t know how his head didn’t explode on the spot. He pulled Dean’s leg higher and the blonde complied, shifting so Cas could pull it over his shoulder, getting that better angle. Then he was pressing forward, guiding his cock as he pressed into Dean’s tight heat. He felt Dean’s fingers digging into his skin, the pain so wonderfully grounding in contrast to the amazing feeling of being inside Dean. “ _Fuck_.” He whispered the word against Dean’s throat.

“No,” Dean managed, voice breathless. “You’re not.” He rocked backwards, Cas whimpering as the movement forced his cock that tiny bit further into Dean’s body. “So get on that.”

Cas laughed, brushing a kiss over Dean’s lips, murmuring “gladly”. He slowly slid almost completely out of Dean and then thrust back in, loving the cry he got in response, and did it again, setting up a steady rhythm. 

Dean’s hands were almost kneading Cas’ shoulders in a way that made the brunette purr like a cat. “ _God_ ,” he breathed, eyes slipping shut. It felt amazing. Dean’s hands on him, his body tight around him…

Then a hand slipped into his hair and yanked, pulling Cas’ attention back to those green eyes. “Harder, Cas. Don’t stop.”

Cas had no intention of doing any such thing. He slipped a hand beneath Dean’s thigh, caressing the soft skin. “Beautiful,” he murmured. For Dean was, flushed as he looked up at Cas through heat-filled eyes. 

Cas pulled out nearly all the way and then plunged back in, ramming deep into Dean. That was it. That was what Dean wanted, crying out “ _Yes!_ ” His leg wrapped tighter around Cas, heel digging into his back as he tried to urge him deeper. Not that it was possible. With a whine of frustration, he slipped his other leg over Cas’ shoulder, both legs now wrapped about his husband. 

It was too good, and both were too happy….there was no way it could last. Dean pulled Cas into a hard, demanding kiss. Cas chose that moment to wrap his hand around Dean’s cock, giving him a rough stroke. Dean broke from the kiss with a cry, and Cas felt hot cum spatter his hand and chest. Dean’s face was beautiful, so beautiful, his muscles tightening and fluttering around Castiel’s cock, and it was all he could take; Cas came, biting down on Dean’s shoulder as he cried out his husband’s name.

The room was silent for a long time. Cas lay boneless across Dean’s body, back rising and falling as his breath evened. 

“I love you.” Dean’s voice broke the silence in the room, and Castiel smiled at the words, pressing a kiss to the tiny set of bloody teeth marks he had left on Dean’s shoulder. 

“I love you, too.” Cas rolled off of Dean and immediately Dean snuggled close, laying his head on Cas’ chest as he usually did. A smile spread over his face. “We’re getting a baby.”

He could feel the answering smile on Dean’s face pressed to his chest, hear it in his voice as he spoke. “We are.” Dean lifted his head enough to look up at Cas. “Did Mrs. Phelps want us to come in?”

Cas nodded. “Yeah. I said we’d check our availability and call her back.”

“Good.” Dean raised his brows. “Soon? I wanna find out about Charlemagne.”

Cas couldn’t help but laugh, stroke Dean’s hair. “Me too.” Grinning, Dean stretched up for a kiss and Cas cupped the back of his head, pulling him in for a longer, lingering one. Both were smiling when they parted. “We’ll figure it out tomorrow, yeah? Give her a call?”

Dean nodded enthusiastically. “Definitely.”

“In the meantime….” Cas rolled Dean over, pinning him to the bed. Dean looked up at him in surprise; Cas just smiled down at him with a hint of heat in those blue eyes. “I think I have some good ideas about how to spend our evening.”

Dean couldn’t have looked more surprised. “You….really? You wanna.....again?” Cas nodded; Dean smiled, incredibly pleased. “Wow. Okay.”

Cas leaned in for a kiss, slowly, deeply plundering Dean’s mouth in a kiss that sent a shiver down Dean’s spine and made his toes curl.

Oh yea. Dean was in for one _hell_ of a night.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not one of my finer chapters. :/ The dancing was just not working. I've done a LOT of reading and I feel fairly confident with it now, but I realized there's not much point in writing a dance scene when the majority of readers won't know what I'm talking about. So I chose moves that would be done in their routine and used them. Unfortunately, it made the scene somewhat choppy. 
> 
> Oh well. C'est la vie. I hope you all enjoyed it anyway.


	27. Chapter 27

This isn't a chapter, but an apology for taking so long.

I believe I mentioned before that I have depression and issues with cutting. A friend recently got upset with me, a friend who knows about my problems, and told me to "take my fucking medication." I had a huge meltdown and am still dealing with it.

I'm only telling you this because it's been hard to get any writing done and I wanted to let you know why I've been so slow in updating. I'll get it posted when I can.

In the meantime, know I love you all and I'll write you the best chapter I can.^^ <3


	28. Chapter 28

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't seen this youtube video, you should watch it first, because it's referenced in this chapter. And because it's HILARIOUS.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-YCdcnf_P8

Cas sipped his coffee, taking in the gorgeous fall weather. It was far too cold to be out on the porch, but it was such a nice day that he hadn’t been able to resist. Still, he was beginning to shiver; he would have to go in soon.

He started in surprise as suddenly a blanket draped around his shoulders, and he smiled as Dean pressed a kiss to the back of his neck. “Hey, baby.” He snuggled back into the warmth of the blanket, the heat of Dean’s body as warm arms wrapped around him. “You’re so sweet.”

“Figured you were getting cold.”

Cas couldn’t help but smile. “I was.” He arched his neck as Dean nuzzled his throat. “How about you…..you cold?”

“Little bit.”

“Then get under here with me.”

Dean laughed and obeyed, slipping beneath the huge down comforter before once more wrapping his arms around Cas. “Better?”

“I don’t know. You tell me.”

There was a soft, throaty chuckle that sent a shiver down Castiel’s spine. “Yes. Better.”

Cas let his head rest on Dean’s shoulder. “When’s everyone coming?”

“In about an hour.” Somehow the two men had managed to throw together a midmorning brunch for that day so they could tell everyone about the new baby.

“Will everything be ready?”

Dean nodded. “We—“

“You,” Cas corrected. Dean shook his head, but he was smiling.

“I,” he continued, more to please Cas than anything else, “managed to make most of the food in advance this morning, things like scones and finger sandwiches. All we’ve got to do is heat a few things up for a couple minutes before serving.”

“That’s good.”

Dean smiled. “Yea.” It made things very relaxing, not having to be cooking right up to brunch time.

“Well…” Cas turned in Dean’s arms, slipping an arm around Dean’s waist, the other up around his neck to tangle a hand in his hair. “Shall we go in?”

Dean gave Cas a soft kiss, a smile on his face. “Works for me.”

 

**~*~**

 

The first guests arrived just as Dean finished heating up his homemade blueberry scones. “Perfect timing.”

Cas shook his head with a smile, wiping a smudge of flour off Dean’s cheek with one thumb. “Indeed.”

Dean grinned at the action and handed the tray of pastries to Cas, wiping his hands off on his jeans. “I’ll get the door.” But he didn’t have to. Turns out it was the Bradburys, and Bradburys didn’t knock.

“Hello hello hello!” Charlie shoved her way into the house, Bela right behind her and both Lauryn and Mary following. Mary’s eighth birthday was in a week. It should be an especially good one, what with Cindy there now. Both men had been worrying that, as Mary got older, she would grow less demonstratively affectionate, determined to prove she was “mature” now and not some little girl who needed cuddles. This was not, however, proving to be the case, as could be seen when the petite blonde ran forward with a happy cry of “Things!”, flinging herself at both of her fathers.

“Whoa!” Dean laughed as he returned the embrace, gently patting his daughter’s back. Cas smiled, wrapping an arm around each of the two.

“You miss us, sweetie?” She nodded. “You had fun with Lauryn and your aunts though, right?”

“Of course she did.” Charlie moved forwards and ruffled Mary’s wavy blonde hair. Mary batted at her hand but she was smiling.

“Hello?” Bobby poked his head inside, taking a peek, then pushed the door open. “Anybody home?”

“Come on in, guys.”

The Singer-Harvelles entered, along with Garth. 

“I found someone outside.” Jo had her arm around Claire, the petite blonde that absolutely everyone in their group considered family. 

“Hey, Claire!” Dean pulled her into a hug. 

“Hey.” Jo gave her brother a glower. “How come SHE gets a hug but not your own sister? What’s all THAT about?”

A hand came down on Jo’s shoulder in an exaggerated version of a reassuring pat. It was Gabriel, that sly smirk and all. “Don’t worry about it, kiddo. It’s a sibling thing. Brothers never give you the respect you deserve.” He gave Cas a meaningful look. Cas let out a bark of laughter.

“Gabe, when you deserve respect, I’ll give it to you.”

Gabriel’s hand fluttered dramatically to his heart. “I’m _wounded!_ ”

Chuck smacked the back of Gabriel’s head. “You are not. Stop being an idiot.”

Dean shook his head, grinning. “Okay, everyone. Let’s stop loitering in the doorway. Come on in.”

The group obligingly trouped into the other room. Cas insisted on getting drinks for everyone, refusing to let Dean help, since he had done the majority of baking that morning. Sam, Sarah and Jared arrived a few minutes later and joined the group. They were just waiting on Benny and Cindy now and they could get started.

It wasn’t long before there was a knock on the door and Cas felt his heart leap. That had to be them. He moved to the door and pulled it open. Sure enough, Benny and Cindy were there, looking rather harried.

“I’m so sorry we’re late,” Cindy apologized profusely. Cas chuckled, shaking his head.

“Not at all. Please, come on in. I’ll get you something to drink.”

Dean was there now, giving Cindy a hug. He turned to Benny with a smile. “Hey, Benny.” His gaze was drawn to the plate in the big man’s hands. “What’ve you got there?”  
A few years before, Dean had taught Benny to cook. Just a few dishes. Benny was an on-again-off-again bachelor….it stood to reason that learning to cook was a good idea. But Benny had taken to it and learned to love it, and before anyone knew it, he’d gotten a job as a sous chef in a local restaurant. His dream was to open a restaurant of his own.  
By now the man was equal to Dean in talent. Everyone ribbed Dean good-naturedly about being jealous. He would never admit it, but he kind of was. Still, he knew he would be ridiculously happy when Benny’s dream came true.

Benny smiled and offered the plate. “A quiche.” There was a look in his eyes, a twinkle, and a grin spread across Dean’s face. Immediately he spoke up, the two speaking in unison, attitude in their voices as they said “a motherfucking quiche,” and promptly cracked up.

Most people in the room were not at all bothered by this. Bobby, however, looked at Cas questioningly. Cas rolled his eyes. “Don’t ask, they’ll just show you the video a million times.”

Dean had finally stopped laughing. “Hey, you think it’s hilarious.”

“Yeah, maybe the first fifty times,” but Cas was smiling.

Bobby looked beyond confused. “Video?”

“Gay Men We’ll Marry Your Girlfriends,” Dean answered. As if that explained anything. Bobby only looked more confused than ever before.

Sam patted him on the shoulder. “I’ll show you later.”

Dean clapped his hands together. “Okay, guys, let’s go eat!”

Cas took the quiche from Dean’s hands and heated it for a few minutes in the kitchen as everyone seated themselves around the table, chattering noisily. He was practically shaking with excitement. 

Once seated at the table, Cas looked around at their family and friends, talking happily and eating all of Dean’s delicious food. He wondered if anyone was questioning why they were all gathered there. They rarely had the whole group over, except on holidays. Actually, they should do it more often. It was nice.

Despite all of the excitement he knew Dean felt just as much as him, they managed to make it through the entire meal before sharing their news. Everyone was just finishing up before Dean tossed his napkin aside, rising. “Guys?” Thirteen pairs of eyes looked up at him. “Cas and I have some news from you.”

Cas could feel his cheeks flush with happiness, with anticipation. Dean smiled at him and offered his hand. Cas took it, giving a squeeze, and Dean turned his attention back to the group. “We’re getting another baby.”

The response was overwhelming. Claire smiled silently, since she had already known this was in the works, but Charlie practically shrieked. Bela swatted her wife’s shoulder, but she was smiling joyfully. Cindy was out of her seat and around the table in an instant, yanking Cas to his feet and pulling him, laughing, into her arms. Dean smiled to see it. He pushed back his chair and moved to his parents, but didn’t quite make it there before Sam was squeezing the life out of him.

“This is so…” Sam didn’t seem to know what to say. “Congratulations, Dean.”

Dean laughed breathlessly. “Thanks, bitch.” He could hear Sam shooting back the usual response of “jerk” but was distracted as he looked over Sam’s shoulder and saw his mom, tears in her eyes. He shook his head. “Majka…”

Sam released him so that he could see his mother, who gave him a tight hug. “Thank you,” she whispered. He chuckled.

“Gotta give you another grandkid, right?” He looked to Jo. “Least until THIS one gets a move on it.” 

Jo immediately flushed crimson, but if anything, Garth was redder than she was. Dean grinned to see it. Turning, he saw Benny. The man smiled at him and offered his hand.

“Congratulations, brother,” he said softly. Dean smiled at the words, the gentle but firm handshake that was so absolutely Benny.

“Thanks.” 

But there was one person who hadn’t said a thing. Dean looked to his little girl. Mary was watching him quietly. He glanced at Cas, who was clearly thinking the same thing. Cas gave Bela a gentle pat on the shoulder and moved away, joining Dean at Mary’s side. Dean crouched beside her where she sat silently in her chair. 

“Hey, babygirl,” Dean said softly. “This good with you?” She was so quiet, it was scaring him. He knew that sooner or later she would adjust to the idea of a baby brother, but that didn’t make it any harder to think of her being upset right now.

But then her face broke into a smile and she leaned forwards, an arm wrapping around each of her fathers as she hugged them tight, nodding. Dean felt his heart skip a happy beat. “Yea?”

Mary pulled away, giving another nod. Then she paused. “….is it boy?”

Cas chuckled, stroking a lock of hair behind her ear. “Yes.”

“How about that?” Dean asked. “Still okay?”

Mary paused, wrinkling her nose slightly as she considered it. Finally, she nodded. “I guess.”

Dean had to bite back a laugh. “Thanks, Mary.”

She gave both of them another hug, this time kissing each on the cheek before pulling away. Dean rose to his feet, ruffling her hair, and she swatted at his hand.

“Did you say you’re getting a boy?” Bobby asked. Cas nodded.

“We wanted one of each.”

“Got a name yet?”

Cas smiled, his face impossibly happy. Dean waited to see if he wanted to say the name, but Cas just shook his head, gently elbowing Dean. Dean smiled.

“Charles,” he said. “Charles Gabriel.”

The look on his father’s and brother’s faces made Cas melt. The emotion was something he would expect from his father but from Gabriel? He wasn’t crying, but it looked like it was damn close.

“Was this….” Chuck cleared his throat. “Whose idea was this?”

Cas could feel his cheeks flush. “I suggested Charles…..Dean suggested Gabriel.”

Gabe’s attention flew to Dean, eyes startled. Dean looked back at him unflinchingly. “What.” His voice was almost defensive, and a blush was beginning to appear on his cheeks.

Gabe shook his head. “Nothing.” But his voice was very tiny. “Ah…” He scrubbed at the back of his neck in a way that reminded Cas so much of Dean it was almost scary. “Thanks, man.”

Cas couldn’t help but grin….they were both too damn cute. Dean caught sight of the expression and glowered.

“Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Cas protested.

“Shut up.”

Cas bit his lip to hold back his smile, and a thought hit him. “Well,” he amended. “Charlemagne.”

Gabriel looked completely taken aback, then cracked up. “ _Charlemagne??_ ”

“It’s what ‘Charles’ is derived from!” Dean shot back.

Gabe was grinning. “Let’s take one guess who thought THAT bit up.”

“Shut up, Gabe.”

Chuck shook his head, but he was grinning. “I definitely approve.”

At Chuck’s words, Dean’s face lit up. “Yea?”

Chuck nodded with a smile. “Yeah.”

“Me too.”

Both men looked to Charlie as she spoke. The redhead looked ecstatic. “You’re gonna call him Charlie, too, right?”

Neither could stop the laughter. “Maybe sometimes,” Cas said.

“Yea,” Dean cut in. “Charlemagne….Charles…..Charlie….Chaz….”

“Ooh, Chaz,” Gabe cut in. “That’s a good one.”

Dean looked to Cas. “Dammit, I liked that one.”

“What,” Gabe asked, “you’re not gonna use it now that you know I like it?”

“Well if YOU like it, clearly something MUST be wrong with it.”

There was laughter all around the room. Gabe glowered. “Asshole.”

“Hey!” Cas smacked his brother’s shoulder. “Don’t use that kind of language in front of my daughter!”

“Dude, your daughter’s first word was ‘fuck’….” Gabe’s attention was on Dean now, a reminder of who she learned that first word from. “I don’t think ‘asshole’ is a problem.”

“Oh, shut up.” But there was no heat behind Dean’s words, and he grinned at the laughter at his expense. He had the best family possible, and it was only about to grow.

He looked to his husband. Cas smiled at him, taking his hand, and Dean smiled back. At that moment, life was perfection itself.

 

**~*~**

 

“Mary!” Dean hollered. “You’re going to be late!”

The sound of running feet pounded down the hall, Mary bursting into the kitchen. Dean raised his brows at her. “You missed your birthday breakfast.”

She pouted and he shook his head. “Don’t give me that look. You’re the one who woke up late.” She looked absolutely crestfallen and he couldn’t help but want to hug her, even as he smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll make it tomorrow.”

Mary’s face lit up and she bounced forward, hugging him tightly around the waist. He laughed. “You’re spoiled, you know that?”

She nodded. “Yes. Thank you, Two.”

Dean gently stroked her hair. “You’re welcome.” He put the lid on a tupperware and handed it to her. “I made you your birthday tarts.”

If she had looked overjoyed before, it was nothing to how she looked now. “The bumbleberry ones?”

“Yup.” It was an elementary school birthday tradition that the kids bring in cupcakes or cookies on their birthdays. Mary’s birthday had become everyone’s favorite because Dean always baked something amazing, and Dean baked the BEST desserts. (Benny didn't bake, and had no interest in it, so Dean always had that. No, he wasn't jealous at all.) Mary’s absolute favorite were Dean’s bumbleberry tarts, almost like mini pies. “Just hide them from Thing One or he’ll eat them all before you make it to school.”

“I’ll eat all of what?” Cas entered the room, adjusting his tie. He had another meeting today and had to dress up, not in his normal casual wear. He never wore dressy clothes and couldn’t tie a tie to save his life. It was damn adorable, and Dean couldn’t help but smile. He stepped forwards to fix it.

“All the tarts.” 

Cas’ eyes lit up and Dean chuckled, shaking his head. “No, Cas.”

“But—“

“No.”

“Just one?”

“No,” Dean said firmly. “You can have some later. A whole pie.”

That satisfied Cas, a smile spreading across his face, and he nodded. “Okay. I’ll wait.”

Dean kissed him softly, murmuring “good boy. Now, go.” He gave Cas a little shove. “Or you two are gonna be late.”

Laughing, Cas turned away. “Okay, okay.” He took Mary’s hand, smiling at her. “Let’s go, babygirl.” Together they headed out the door to that ugly-ass Prius that Dean still hated so much.

Dean smiled as he watched them. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a brown paper bag sitting on the counter. “God, not again.” Grabbing it, he ran for the door. “Cas!”

Cas’ head whipped about, blue eyes looking up at his husband, and his cheeks flushed as he realized that he’d forgotten his lunch AGAIN. Dean ran down the front steps, Cas jogging over to meet him, and they kissed as they met halfway, the lunch exchanging hands. Dean gave Cas another little shove. “Now go, you ass.” And with a laugh, Cas ran back to his car, the Prius roaring to life and then rumbling off down the road.

Dean watched it go, his husband and daughter disappearing into the distance. He thought of how much he loved them, how much he was going to love the child on the way, and smiled at the thought. They were gonna get their 2.5 kids.

….bumbleberry life, indeed.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to thank you all SO MUCH for your kind words. It's been really hard for me lately and it helped so very much hearing from all of you. Sincerely.


	29. Christmas delays.

I just wanted to apologize that it's taking so long for the next chapter. I'm knitting my dad a scarf for Christmas (Dean’s scarf, to be specific.....same colors) and it's taking up all of my time. On top of that, I wrote two other Destiel pieces which you should definitely check out if you havent. One, 'the New Britain Bees', is canon, and the second, 'the Fitting', is another au, with Dean as a dancer once again.

So if you haven't read those, do so to tide you over, and I'll try to get the next chapter out in time for Christmas.

All my love!

<3 Chris


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This has a pretty important reference to one of the dabbles in 'A Place For You and Me'. If you haven't read it, I'd recommend you do so.

The organist trailed off the final notes of the closing song. Castiel held out his hand for Dean’s hymn book, taking it and tucking both books away into the little holder on the back of the pew in front of them that was made for just this purpose. He smiled down at Mary, who was situated between them. “Ready to go?” She nodded a bit too eagerly. It wasn’t at all surprising. She was less impatient now than when she was younger, four or five, but she was still young enough that church was fairly boring to her, young enough that she didn’t understand the readings. Cas met Dean’s eyes. They were twinkling with amusement at their daughter’s reaction. He took Mary’s hand.

“Come on, baby girl,” Dean said. “Let’s go.”

The three headed from the pew. It was slow going, since all the other parishioners were also leaving, and the main aisle was crowded. 

“Dean! Castiel!” Donna Hanscum was just coming out of the pew across the way. She was a local sheriff and probably the friendliest person Castiel had ever met. “How are you?” She leaned over slightly to smile down at Mary. “How are ya, Mary?”

Mary smiled up at Donna. She loved the sheriff, who babysat on occasion. “I’m good.”

The blonde woman returned her attention to the two men. “And you two?”

“Great.” Cas smiled at her, then glanced at Dean. As always, Dean could read his mind, knew he was asking if it was okay to share their news, and he nodded. Cas returned his attention to Donna. “In fact, better than great. We’re adopting another baby.”

Donna’s face lit up. “Oh my goodness!” Both men found their arms full of one very enthusiastic sheriff, one arm around each man before quickly pulling away to give them another huge grin. “You know what it is?”

That grin was infectious. “A boy.”

“That’s great, boys, it’s really great.”

Mary was fidgeting. She had been behaving so well, but it couldn’t last forever. Cas took pity on her. “Well, we’d better get this one home. It was great to see you, Donna.”

“You too.” With one final round of hugs, the boys left, Mary in between them, one hand holding each of her fathers’ as they walked the short distance back home.

 

**~*~**

 

Dean poked his head into what had formerly been Castiel’s art studio….what was on its way to becoming their new baby’s nursery. Cas was hard at work right now, painting the wall. One wall of the room was already done, set up to look the wall of a Hogwarts common room, fairly basic gray bricks. The other wall was what Cas was currently working on, painting it in deep swirls of blue to resemble the night sky. He was covered head to toe in paint, that beautiful blissed out look on his face that he only got when he was working on art.

Dean smiled as he watched. He loved seeing Cas so happy. As quietly as possible, he entered the room, sneaking up behind Cas and planting a soft kiss to the back of his neck.

Cas jumped. “Dean!” He spun in Dean’s arms. “You could’ve made me mess up!” It was clear that he was trying to sound cross but he was failing miserably, mouth twitching into a smile at the sight of his husband.

Dean only kissed Cas again, on the mouth this time. “It looks wonderful, babe.”

Cas flushed with the praise. “Yeah?”

“Yea.” Dean looked around the room. “ALL of it does.”

Cas was beaming. “Well, yours does, too.”

Dean laughed. “I didn’t do much.” He had altered the bedroom door, just as he had for Mary, only this time, it looked like a closet door. Harry’s cupboard under the stairs, to be specific, cut on a slant just like the one seen in the movies.

“Dean, that door is AMAZING! And bookshelves, too.” 

Dean had made a set of bookshelves out of actual books so that once hung, they looked as if the books were floating. He smiled at the praise. “Just finished something else. Was coming here to show you. C’mon.” With a gesture, he lead Cas into the next room and lifted the newly finished item up off of the coffee table, proudly displaying it to Cas.

Those blue eyes widened. “Oh my God.” Cas held out his hands and Dean happily offered up his creation. “Dean,” he breathed. “It’s _gorgeous!_ ”

It was a mobile that one would hang over a baby’s bed, and it was made up of winged keys like those that Harry had to deal with in the trials at the end of the first book. Dean had carved each one individually and then painted them, the bodies of the keys a shining black, the wings a shimmering, sparkling silver.

Dean flushed happily as he watched Cas handle the mobile with a look of such awe. “You like?”

“I LOVE it! God, Dean.” Cas shook his head. “You’re so damn talented.”

Dean leaned in for a kiss. “You too, Cas. You too.”

Cas set the mobile carefully back down and ran a hand through Dean’s hair, cupped his cheek. “How you feel about tomorrow? You ready?”

At just the mention of the next day, the open house for the dance studio, Dean’s flush grew, smile widening, and he nodded. “SO ready.”

Cas chuckled. “Well, then. How about we go get cleaned up?”

Dean’s eyes darkened with lust, raking over Cas’ paint covered body. Clearly Cas could see something was up, for he laughed. “What. What is THAT look.”  


Dean leaned in, nuzzling his way along Castiel’s throat as he murmured “just looking at all the paint on you. Thinkin’ bout how long I can keep you in the shower, scrubbing you down.”

Laughter bubbled forth, Cas’ hands coming up to clutch at Dean’s shoulders, his head tipping back with his laughter. _God_ , Dean loved that. He couldn’t resist giving Cas’ throat a little nip, delighting in Cas’ responding gasp. “C’mon, baby,” he said, and he scooped Cas into his arms. Cas ‘eeped’, wrapping both arms around Dean’s neck and smiling. “Let’s go shower.”

[](http://smg.photobucket.com/user/el_snicket/media/HP%20room_zpsumm5oxzn.jpg.html)

 

**~*~**

 

The open house had a remarkable turnout. Everyone exclaimed over the artwork Cas had done on the walls, which had the man blushing happily, and Dean smiling for him. He didn’t know how many people had signed up….he would have to count the forms later. But he DID know that he had classes mostly booked for both Tuesday AND Thursday, as well as every other Saturday. So far everything was looking terrific.

People lingered all the way till the end of the allotted time period…..one couple in particular. A mother and son, Dean would wager, judging by the age difference, and the young man was holding a little girl in his arms. The older woman looked….strangely familiar.

Only when the last of the people left the room did the three approach him. “Hello, Mr. Winchester,” the man offered his hand.

“Dean,” he corrected, shaking it. “Just Dean.”

“I’m Owen Mills,” the man said. “This is my daughter Lily and my mother Jody.”

As soon as Dean heard the name Jody it was as if he’d been hit over the head. His eyes went wide; he looked at her. She was smiling, and it was clear from her face that he was right….she was exactly who he thought she was.

“Hello, Dean.”

That voice brought it all back to him: that night years ago when he was fourteen….on his knees in that back alley, the man trying to shove his cock down his throat. The police sirens sounding, the feeling of sheer terror that he would be arrested and taken away from Sam. And then this woman. This wonderful woman took him to Sam, let him ride up front instead of shoving him into the back of the car like the criminal he was, talked him through all of his difficulties and did her best to help him.

Not that it had done any good. His dad had still beat the shit out of him. But she had tried. She could have thrown him in a jail cell, dropped Sammy at family services. But she didn’t. And that meant _everything_.

“Sheriff Mills.”

She was clearly happy that he remembered her. “Jody will do just fine.” She looked him over and her smile grew. “You turned out even better than I thought you would.”

Dean’s eyes were burning…he couldn’t help it. Knowing Jody had thought of him these past years, that she had thought he’d turn out well? That was just too much. His eyes teared up. “Thank you.” He could sense Cas looking at him, knew the brunette was smiling warmly, and he shook off the feeling, clearing his throat. “So, ah….what brings you here?”

Jody nodded in Owen’s direction. “Well, this is the son I mentioned to you all those years ago.”

Dean gave Owen a once-over. “You look a couple years younger than Sammy.” Sam had been ten when he had first met Jody.

“I’m twenty-six.”

Dean nodded. “Yup. Two years younger.” He grinned at Jody. “Now I know why you handled Sam’s hyperactivity so well. You had one even younger.”

Both mother and son laughed. “True.” Jody reached out and ruffled her son’s hair. He swatted her hand away in a gesture that reminded Dean so much of him with Sam that it made him smile. “Now this one is learning it for himself.”

Owen rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. “Tell me about it.” He looked down at Lily, who had been growing more and more fidgety by the minute. “Lily here is going to be in your class on Thursday night.”

“That’s great!” Dean leaned forward, hands on his knees so he could smile at Lily. “You looking forward to dancing?” The little girl nodded enthusiastically at him. “Good! So I’ll be seeing you on Thursday, then.” He offered his hand for a high five and with a smile, Lily complied.

Owen chuckled, eyes glowing at the sight of his daughter already so at ease with her future teacher. “Well, then, we’d best be going. We’ll see you when we bring this one here next Thursday.”

Dean nodded. “Looking forward to it.” He turned to Jody with an almost shy smile. “It was nice to see you again.” 

Before he knew what was happening, she was enveloping him in a warm hug. “You too,” she whispered in his ear. Pulling away, she held him at arm’s length. “Don’t be a stranger, now.”

He couldn’t help but laugh. “I won’t.”

Dean and Cas waved as the trio left the room. Dean’s heart was aglow. He had never thought he’d see Sheriff Mills again. Honestly, he had never given too much thought to it. Every now and then he’d think of her, of what happened, but as a whole it wasn’t a very pleasant memory, so he tried to keep it buried deep. But seeing her again had been nice. More than nice.

He jumped slightly at the touch of Cas’ hand on his shoulder. The brunette was looking at him with a touch of concern. “You okay?”

Dean nodded, smiling. “Yea. I’m good.”

Cas looked relieved, face melting into a smile, and he leaned in for a kiss. 

There was the sound of commotion outside, and Charlie and Bela entered, followed by Lauryn and Mary. Charlie heaved a dramatic sigh. “Oh God, you two.”

“Oh, shut up,” Cas said good-naturedly. He looked to the girls. “You ready for tonight?” Both girls nodded enthusiastically. Lauryn would be spending the night and the men had offered them takeout pizza and all the ice cream they could eat.

“Don’t let them eat TOO much sugar,” Bela pleaded. Dean grinned apologetically.

“Sorry, Bela. Can’t make any guarantees.”

She rolled her eyes. “I know. Was worth a shot, though.” She looked to the girls with a smile. “You ready to go?”

Dean could hear the girls answering excitedly but it was a vague noise in the background. A thought had occurred and he looked to his husband. “Hey.” Cas raised his brows inquisitively. Dean smiled. “You wanna break in the studio?” 

Castiel’s brow furrowed momentarily, then understanding passed over his face and he smiled. Everyone else’s reactions, however, were not as positive. Bela made a tiny noise of discomfort, and both the young girls let out loud “ewww”s!

Charlie, on the other hand….Charlie’s face was exaggeratedly disgusted. “ _God_ , guys….can’t you keep it in your pants for five minutes?” But it was clear from the sparkle in her eye that she knew there was something more to Dean’s words than what it seemed.

“Shut up, you ass.” Dean gave her a shove. “And take the girls down to the house. Help them order their pizza. We’ll be down shortly.”

The redhead rolled her eyes but she was smiling. “Fine.” Taking her wife’s hand, she tugged her towards the door, ushering the girls out as well. She called over her shoulder as they went. “Not too long, though, boys. Twenty minutes, tops!”

“Promise!” Dean called after her. He listened to the footsteps retreating down the steps, the door shutting behind the girls, then turned to Cas. “We’re alone.”

“Mm.” Cas stepped closer, arms winding their way around Dean’s neck. “We are.”

Dean kissed Cas gently, murmuring “let me put on some music.” He headed to the record player, thumbing through the albums. Cas waited, watching, until he heard the crackle of the record kicking in, until Dean turned and headed back to him. Dean took Cas into his arms with a smile, a hand at the small of Cas’ back, and the music began to play.

By now Cas was used to rhythm of the swing music, had gotten fairly good at dancing to it. He still wasn’t as good as Dean, but the blonde had many years’ experience on him, and also a skill for dance that Cas would NEVER possess.

“Congratulations,” he murmured in Dean’s ear. “It went wonderfully.”

Dean was absolutely radiating happiness. “It really did, didn’t it.”

“And that….was that THE sheriff you told me about?” There was the slightest hesitation and then Dean nodded. Cas ran his fingers soothingly through Dean’s hair. “She seemed nice.”

“She is.”

Dean didn’t sound upset or tense at all by the subject matter. That was good. “You glad to see her again?”

Another nod, and this time the smile was clear in Dean’s voice as he answered “yea. It….I never would have expected it. But it was nice.”

Cas gave him a kiss. “Good.”

Dean grinned at him. “They liked your paintings, too.”

That filled Castiel with warmth; he glanced at the seascape he had painted, the image of Dean and Cindy dancing. “Yeah.” A thought occurred and his smile grew until he was grinning right back. “See? You really should let me paint you more often.” 

“Oh, you—“ Dean let his hand slip down from Cas’ back and Cas yelped as he felt a sharp pinch to his rear.

“Hey!”

“You deserved it, brat. Behave.” But Cas only laughed as Dean spun him, loving the sparkle in those green eyes.

“Things!” Mary’s voice rent the night air, insistent. “Dinner!”

Dean called out “coming!” He dipped Castiel deeply and looked down at him, a smile on his face. “I love you.”

Cas smiled up at his beautiful, wonderful husband. “Likewise, dorkface.”

 

**~tbc~**

 

.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I got it done in time for Christmas! I hope it's a nice gift for all of you, and that you enjoyed it.
> 
> I honestly didn't have any plans to bring Jodi back but it came to me and I decided I'd like having her stop by.
> 
> More on Charlemagne soon, I promise!
> 
> Happy holidays, everyone! <3


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My dearest cinnamon rolls, I am SO SORRY it took so long! I managed to get my computer into a vaguely functioning manner, which is good, since I had to take out a loan to buy a car and will thus have no money for a VERY long time as I pay back that loan.
> 
> In the meantime, I will hopefully keep this thing working and keep the story coming! I posted a new drabble as well, go check that one out!

Amici’s was relatively full for a Tuesday night. Charlie and Bela had agreed to watch Mary so that Cindy and Benny could take the happy couple out to dinner to celebrate. They had been insistent upon it, giving Dean and Cas no choice in the matter. Not that they objected. Any chance to go to their favorite restaurant with two of their best friends and talk about their new baby was good with them.

“So,” Benny tore the crust off another piece of bread. “What’s the news? You meet with the adoption agent yet?”

Cas nodded. They had met with Mrs. Phelps a few days after they first got the good news about the adoption. “It’s a couple this time. Man and a woman, nineteen and twenty. Unmarried. They hadn’t planned on kids but she hasn’t gotten her tubes tied.”

Cindy arched a brow. “Did anyone tell him that he could get a vasectomy?”

Dean laughed. “She probably did. If it wouldn’t endanger their choice to give us a child, _I_ would tell him, the jerk. But as it is, I need to keep my mouth shut. Not that we’re meeting them, anyway.”

Benny’s face now mirrored Cindy’s, brows shooting into the air. “They don’t want an open adoption?”

Cas shook his head. “Really, it’s not surprising. It was more unusual that Claire wanted an open one….especially at her age. Many people who don’t want children don’t feel the need, or desire, to keep in touch with the children in any way.”

Benny nodded in understanding. “Makes sense.” He frowned. “But what does that mean for you guys? You won’t be as involved.”

Dean’s face was somewhat sad and wistful. “Yea, not nearly as much. We won’t be able to go to the ultrasounds or anything….though Mrs. Phelps thinks she can get us a picture….but we CAN be at the hospital when Charlemagne is born.”

“Oh, really?” Cindy sounded happy about that. Cas nodded.

“Yes. They said they’d call Mrs. Phelps when the mother went into labor and then she’ll call us so we can come by. We won’t go to the room where she’s giving birth, but they’ll set aside a room for us, and bring the baby in right after he’s born.” A smile spread across his face, those blue eyes glowing. “He’ll be ours right away.”

Dean wrapped an arm around his husband’s shoulders, leaning in to plant a kiss on his cheek. “He’s already ours,” he murmured.

Cindy was grinning as she watched. “Sap.”

“Oh, shut up,” Dean said good-naturedly.

Laughing, Benny picked up the wine bottle and leaned over to pour Dean another glass. He paused, looking up with a twinkle in his eyes. “I’m assuming you can have more of this, considering neither of you are actually the one pregnant.” 

Cindy smacked her boyfriend’s shoulder. Cas just laughed. “Give it time,” he teased. “We’ve discussed this before.”

Benny lifted a brow. “Oh?”

Cas nodded. “When we adopted Mary. Dean insisted he’d be the one to carry our baby.”

All eyes turned to Dean and he felt his cheeks turn red. Benny was grinning like the proverbial cat that caught the canary. “Oh, _really_ , Dean.”

His cheeks were burning. “Shut up, Benny.” He grabbed the bottle from his friend’s hand and poured himself another glass of wine before doing the same for Cas. “And yes. In high school, Cas used to call me Sandra Dee.”

Benny gave a bark of laughter; Cindy burst into giggles. “I don’t remember that,” the Cajun said.

“Pretty sure I only did it when it was just the two of us,” Cas ran his fingers through Dean’s hair, a loving smile on his face.

“So yea. I figured that would make me the mom.”

Benny shook his head. “You are SUCH a weirdo.”

Dean found a stray crumb on his plate and flicked it at Benny. “Takes one to know one.”

The waiter chose that moment to reappear. “How is everything,” she asked with a smile. “Can I get you anything else? The dessert menu, perhaps?”

Dean’s eyes lit up, and Castiel laughed, rubbing his back affectionately. “That would be great, thank you.” Amici’s always had fantastic dessert.

Tonight turned out to be no exception. They had all very quickly ordered desserts, even Cindy, who had previously proclaimed herself “too full to eat another bite”. She simply hadn’t been able to resist the crème brulee cheesecake. Benny had some tiramisu and Dean and Cas split an apple cobbler.

“Well,” Benny said, as he set his fork down on his now empty dish. “Thanks for coming out with us tonight.”

“Thank YOU,” Cas responded. “It was fun.”

“Yea,” Dean agreed. Cindy grinned.

“God knows you two won’t get many nights out once you have TWO kids.”

“OR time for sex,” Benny chimed in, an evil smirk on his face.

“Oh, you’d be surprised.” Dean was grinning. “We’re crafty.”

Benny threw back his head and laughed, loud and long. Cas smiled to watch him. Cindy had a brow arched, smirking. “Oh, _are_ you.”

Cas nodded. “We are.”

“Well, then.” Benny raised his mostly empty glass. “To Charlemagne.”

His heart fluttering with happiness, Cas did the same, Cindy and Dean following suit, and they all echoed together “to Charlemagne!”

 

**~*~**

 

The front door slammed open so hard that it banged against the wall, and Dean shot out of his seat in surprise. He spun about with wide eyes in time to see Jo stride through the door. Her face was red with an anger that was belied only by the tears filling her eyes.

“Jo!” He was at her side in an instant. “Baby, what’s wrong?”

The tiny blonde ran the back of her hand over her eyes, angrily scrubbing away some unshed tears. “Garth. Garth is wrong.”

If Dean had felt surprised before, it was nothing on what he felt now. “Garth?” How Garth could make ANYONE angry, let alone send them into this level of rage, was beyond him. That dubious surprise must have been evident in his voice for Jo’s face only clouded over with more anger. He hastily backpedaled. “Okay, okay, come sit down and tell me all about it.” Taking one of Jo’s hands, he led her to the couch and they sat. “Now. What’s wrong.”

“It’s that girl.”

Dean immediately knew what Jo was talking about. Jo and Garth worked at the same hospital, Jo as a nurse and Garth as a pediatrician. But for not too long now, a new girl had been training on Garth’s floor. Everyone else knew that Garth’s interest in the girl was nothing more than a platonic wish to help her in her studies, but Jo had taken one look at that bleach blonde hair and cheery smile and the green-eyed monster had emerged. Dean had no idea why. The two had been together so long…it should be clear by now that Jo was, and forever would be, the only woman for Garth.

“Jo…” he sighed. “Garth isn’t interested in Jenny.”

“He spends all his time with her!”

“Her exams are coming up,” Dean pointed out. “He’s trying to help her pass them.”

Jo shook her head stubbornly. “He still doesn’t need to spend so much time with her. It’s not fair.”

When Jo got like this, she was impossible. Dean decided to try a different tack and play Devil's advocate. "Well you guys HAVE been together an awfully long time. I mean you’ve been dating since you were 14. Maybe its time to let go." 

"No!" The response was immediate, the word bursting forth. Jo's face was suddenly fierce, determined. "I love him." 

"Good." Jo looked taken aback at Dean's response; he smiled. "Then go get him."

A slow smile spread over Jo’s pretty face; she leaned in for a tight hug and kissed his cheek. “Thank you.”

Dean huffed a laugh, mussing her blonde hair. “You’re welcome.”

Jo rose from the couch, tugging at Dean’s hand. “Come with me?” Her voice was plaintive. Dean arched a brow.

“You sure?” Jo nodded. He shrugged. “Well then of course.”

The two had barely reached the door before it opened, Cas stopping dead when he saw them standing right there. “Whoa.” He stared at them with big blue eyes. “Where are YOU two going?”

Dean finished yanking his shoes on. “Jo needs to find Garth and tell him she’s been an idiot.”

“Hey!” Jo smacked Dean but he just laughed, straightening up to grin at his husband.

“You gonna come with?”

“Me….what?” Cas was still lost. Laughing, Dean grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him out the door. “Come on, babe, I’ll explain on the way.”

 

**~*~**

 

Jo had texted Garth while they drove and found out that he was with Jenny at a little outdoor café, going over her books. That didn’t make Jo very happy but she kept her grumbling to a minimum, which was a definite improvement. Luckily the place wasn’t far.

Garth and Jenny were right in plain sight out front. They were sitting closer together than Dean would have liked his little sister’s boyfriend to sit to another girl, but they were studying the same book so he supposed it made sense. Besides, he knew Garth only had eyes for Jo.

He glanced into the backseat to where Jo was watching her boyfriend. When she saw Dean looking, she turned to him. He gave her an encouraging smile. “You ready?” Smiling tremulously, Jo nodded. With a nod in return, Dean pushed open the door and exited the car.

Neither Garth nor Jenny seemed to notice his approach. He wasn’t sure just what to do, what to say, what JO would do, so he went with the first thought that popped into his head and broke the ice the best way he knew how.

"I OBJECT!”

Garth and Jenny’s heads snapped up, staring in surprise at Dean, waving his finger in the air. Cas slapped a palm to his face at his husband’s antics. Jo hissed "Dean, you're not at a wedding, you don't just object like that!"

“Who cares.” He grabbed Jo’s shoulder and tugged her to him. “Now, c’mere.” Reaching out, he grabbed Garth, yanking him closer. Looking back and forth between them, he gave them a stern look. “You,” he said to Jo, “need to buck up and stop worrying about Garth. This guy loves you more than anything and if you don’t realize that….well, you’re a damn idiot. And you,” he turned to Garth with a glare. “I know you wanna help this girl study and that’s a good thing, but maybe spend a bit less time with her and a bit more time with your girlfriend. She misses you. Let her know that you love her.”

Garth looked stunned at the words. “Jo…you thought…” But her eyes were on the ground, cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

“Yea,” Dean answered for her. “She did. So you two need to stop being asses and talk shit out or I’ll….” He fished for words, for any kind of threat to make. Jo wasn’t afraid of his threats, he knew that much. Nothing was coming to mind. Words tumbled out of his mouth, a mess of words spilling forth without any real thought to them. “….I’ll go without sex for a month!”

As soon as he said the words, he regretted them, but it was worth it when he saw the look on Castiel’s face. Cas’ expression was one of shocked horror, and Dean couldn’t help but laugh. He wasn’t the only one, both Jo and Garth bursting into laughter along with him. Startled, they looked at each other. Garth was hesitant beneath that gaze, but Jo smiled, and, overjoyed, he smiled in return. 

Dean watched with joy. He only realized that Jenny was still there when she rose from her chair. “Okay, this is all too weird for me." She shouldered her designer purse and, with a small smile, waved a hand. “I’m leaving.”

Dean waved back at her. Jenny seemed like a nice girl. Hopefully after all this, Jo wouldn’t be so jealous over her.

Jo and Garth were deep in conversation, his slim fingers carding through her golden locks. “I’m sorry,” she was saying softly. “I didn’t mean to overreact.”

“I’m sorry too,” he responded. “I never meant to ignore you.”

“You didn’t!” she protested. Dean had to fight to stifle his laughter. Jo had been singing a different tune for months. Funny how quick of a turnaround she made.

But she had an expression on her face now, one that he recognized all too well. That was Jo’s anxious face. She took Garth’s hand, turning it over carefully in hers. “Garth?”

He stroked her cheek. “Yeah, doll?”

Those brown eyes flicked up to look him in the eye. “Will you marry me?”

Dean’s jaw just about hit the floor, and he wasn’t the only one. Garth was absolutely shocked. But then, to Dean’s even greater surprise, he began to laugh. “Hey, that’s not how it’s supposed to work! _I’m_ supposed to propose, not you!”

“And who says that?” Jo demanded.

Dean was grinning. “Besides, Garth, you should know by now that no one in this family does things the way they're supposed to.”

Garth laughed. "True."

Jo slapped his cheek. 'Yes or no, asshole."

Garth didn’t answer. At least, not verbally. An arm went around her waist and he yanked her against him, his other hand going into her hair and pulling her into a crushing kiss. 

Dean’s eyes shot open wide, mouth forming a tiny ‘o’. From beside him he heard Cas whistle softly so he turned. Cas was smiling at the sight of the happy couple. 

Garth pulled away to murmur “of course I will. There’s no one I’d spend my life with but you.”

Jo’s entire face was aglow; she pulled him into another hard kiss. Dean was filled with happiness. “Looks like everything worked out here.” He turned to Castiel with a smile. “We should all go out to celebrate.” But Cas glared at him in response. Dean frowned. “What.”

“You,” Cas’ voice was dour. “You threatened to withhold sex.”

Dean couldn’t help a sharp burst of laughter. That was a mistake, if the way Cas’ face darkened was any indication. He quickly turned the laugh into a cough. “Ah, yea. Sorry bout that. It was the first thing that came out. Completely unintentional.” 

“You’re SO lucky they listened to you,” Cas griped. “You don’t wanna know what I’d do to you if you’d tried to withhold sex from me for a month.”

“Oh?” Dean arched a brow. “And what exactly would you do?”

There was a moment’s pause. Finally, Castiel shook his head. “I have no idea, but it would be awful, I promise you that.”

Dean dissolved into laughter. “Well, okay then. I guess I’d really better behave myself.”

“Please don’t.” Cas pulled him close, lips brushing as he murmured “I like it when you misbehave.”

“Oh?” Dean smiled, a bit of that devilish glint in his eye. “S’that so.”

Cas nodded. “That’s so.”

“Hey!” Both men turned at the voice. Jo and Garth were looking at them. Jo arched a brow. “You guys want to go out for some food?”

Cas smiled. “We were thinking the same thing.”

“Well, then let’s go!” Taking hands, Jo and Garth headed towards the impala. Cas looked to Dean with a smile.

“Guess we’d better follow.”

“Guess so.” He took Castiel’s hand, linking their fingers. “Oh, and Cas?” Cas raised his brows questioningly. “I would _never_ withhold sex.”

Cas simply smiled. “I know. You’d never make it two days.”

Dean burst into laughter, loud and long, echoing in the midafternoon air as, with a grin, Cas gave his hand a squeeze and the two made their way to the parking lot to join the others, two happy couples celebrating love together.

 

**~tbc~**


	32. Chapter 32

Castiel stepped inside, kicking his shoes off at the door. “Dean?” The impala was parked outside, so he would assume his husband was home. Whether or not Dean was _awake_ was a different story. Dean had seemed restless as of late. It made sense. He hadn’t done any really serious writing in a while. Cas wagered it wouldn’t be long before Dean began spending long nights in his office. At least it was good timing. Charlemagne should be born any day now. When they’d had Mary, Dean would keep a crib in his office so he could have her beside him while he worked. It allowed him to keep an eye on her while also getting work done. Cas was sure it would be the same way with Charlemagne. 

He found Dean standing in the hallway, regarding the framed review of his second book, and Cas couldn’t help but smile. Dean had been horrified when Cas had put that there. It had been _weeks_ before Dean could walk down the hall without averting his gaze. But now here he was, looking right at it. 

Cas slipped his arms around Dean’s waist as he stepped in close, leaning his chin on Dean’s shoulder and kissing his cheek. “Hey, babe,” he murmured. “Whatcha doing.”

Dean gave a nod at the framed review for _‘Silly Sonnets and Random Rhymes’_. “Just looking at this. Thinking.”

“Oh?” Cas nuzzled behind Dean’s ear. He didn’t push. He knew Dean would speak in his own time.

Sure enough, Dean didn’t speak any further on the subject, merely turned and pulled Castiel into his arms, kissing him soundly. “How was your day?”

Cas shrugged. “Pretty standard.” He took Dean’s hand, linking their fingers. “Take a shower with me?”

Dean gave a startled laugh. “Oh, babe. The day I refuse that request, please take me to get my head examined….clearly something will have gone very, VERY wrong up there.”

Cas shook his head, grinning, and lead Dean down the hall for a long, hot shower. They took advantage of Mary being at a friend’s house to make love. Afterwards, they simply lay tangled together in bed, clothes strewn on the floor as the kissed and laughed. It was getting harder as Mary got older to find this time, no matter what they told Benny and Cindy, and once they had Charlemagne, it would only get tougher.

“Cas?”

“Mm?” Castiel stroked Dean’s hair where that head was tucked right up under his chin, Dean’s customary snuggle position of resting his head on Cas’ chest. Dean’s arms squeezed ever so slightly about Cas before he spoke again.

“Do _you_ think I could write a play?”

So _that’s_ why Dean was reading the review. The critic had written that Dean’s fiction and poetry had impressed him, and that he would like to see Dean write a play. It appeared as if Dean were considering it. 

“Of course I do.”

Those green eyes looked up at him anxiously. “Yea?”

Cas shook his head at Dean’s insecurities. “Of course I do. Dean….you are so incredibly talented. I am NOT just saying that. I honestly think you can do anything you put your mind to. And your writing…..God. It’s _amazing_.”

“Okay, okay, enough, I get it,” Dean muttered, cheeks aflame. Cas had to smile.

“No.” He kissed Dean’s forehead. “It’s true. So if you want to write a play….you should. I think you’d be great at it.”

Dean was silent for a few moments, clearly thinking. “….okay,” he said at last. 

Cas stroked Dean’s cheek. “Okay?” he questioned. Dean nodded.

“Yea. I’m gonna try.”

Cas smiled, fingers going beneath Dean’s chin and tilting it up so he could give him a kiss. “I’m glad.”

There came suddenly the sound of the front door opening as Mary arrived home, and both men shot up.

“Shit.” Dean began scrambling about to find his pants. Cas couldn’t help laughing, even as he dug through the dresser for a pair of pants of his own.

“Maybe next time, we should plan this a little better.”

“I’m not so good at plans.”

“I’ve noticed.” Cas paused in the doorway, looking Dean up and down, and grinned. “Your pants are on backwards.” He headed out of the room, leaving Dean, cursing, behind him.

 

**~*~**

 

It had gotten late now, but things had gone well with Mary. She hadn’t seemed to catch on that her dads had been up to anything, and Dean had gotten his pants on correctly. They’d gone on to have a relatively normal evening. But Cas knew that Dean wanted to talk more about the possibility of writing a play.

Cas waited until they were alone, curled up in bed together, Dean snuggled close in his arms again. Then he brought it up.

“So,” Castiel’s voice was soft in the dark room. “Did you have any ideas for what to write about?

He could almost hear Dean’s breath catch. "I was thinking" Dean said at last, hesitantly, "maybe I could write about my own life." Then he shook his head. "Stupid."  


Cas stroked his cheek. "I think its a GREAT idea."

"NO!" The vehemence of Dean's voice took Cas aback. "Then Sammy will know. Know about the hustling, about...about the beatings."

Cas' heart broke. "Dean." He took his husband's face in his hands. "Look at me." Reluctantly, green eyes met blue. "Sam is old enough to know the truth now."

Dean was silent. "I know," he said at last. "I just.....don't _want_ him to. Spent so long keeping that burden from him."

”But he's an adult now," Cas gently reminded.

“I know,” Dean said immediately. “I know. But I still can't help wanting to protect him.”

Castiel stroked Dean’s hair. “I know you do, baby. I know you do. And I know that he appreciates that. But I’m sure that he wouldn’t want you to worry about him.”

Dean couldn’t help but smile. “Yea. I know. He’s never wanted that. But it’s not like I can stop.”

“Yeah. It’s hard.” Cas kissed Dean’s forehead. “Sleep, baby.”

Dean snuggled closer. “Okay. I love you, Cas.”

Cas smiled. “I love you, too.”

 

**~*~**

 

It was just after two in the afternoon when the phone rang. Dean had decided to try and get some writing done and he was completely caught up in his work. Luckily it was Saturday, so Cas was home. He answered the phone. “Hello?”

“Hello, who is this?” The voice was unfamiliar.

“It’s Castiel.”

“Castiel, this is Nurse Deganis at Middlesex Hospital.” Cas’ heart immediately leapt into his throat. “Melissa has gone into labor. I can’t give you a true estimate of how long it will be until the baby is born, but you and your husband are welcome to come and wait.”

He was pulling a Dean move, nodding even though he knew she couldn’t see him. “Yes. Yes, we’ll be right there.” He barely heard her say goodbye, heard the phone click. He was too busy hollering for his husband. “DEAN!”

Amazingly, Dean heard him, despite his usual writing-fueled haze, coming to the doorway. “What is it?”

“Melissa is in labor!”

Dean’s eyes went the size of saucers. “Oh my God. Oh my God.” He grabbed Cas by the shoulders and pulled him into a fierce kiss, breaking away to whisper breathlessly. “Let’s go.”

 

**~*~**

 

Upon arriving, the two men had been lead into a private waiting room. It had been almost an hour, and they were both losing their minds. Castiel was pacing. Dean was sitting, but he was bouncing one knee like mad. They had no idea how long it would be until the baby was born. It could be two more minutes, it could be hours. Cas prayed it wouldn’t be hours. He was going nuts, and he knew Dean was as well.

Ten minutes later, the door cracked open. Dean was on his feet in an instant. A nurse entered, a smile on her face and a tiny baby in her arms.

“Here you are,” she said. “Here’s your little boy.”

Both men stared, faces glowing, both of them itching to hold him. Dean turned to Cas, smiling. “You hold him first.”

Castiel looked so hopeful. “Are you sure?”

Dean nodded. “I held Mary first.” Cas gave Dean the biggest smile and turned to the nurse, accepting the tiny baby.

“Hello, Charlemagne,” he cooed.

The nurse raised her eyebrows, looking to Dean. “Charlemagne?” she echoed.

He nodded, confirming “Charlemagne.”

She smiled. “Well, I’ll leave you three alone.” And, sure enough, she left the room, shutting the door behind them.

Castiel looked from the baby to Dean, that gorgeous smile lighting up his face. “He’s _perfect_.”

Dean smiled at him. “Of course he is.” He stepped closer, stroking Charlemagne’s cheek with one finger. “Hey, baby.”

There came a knock on the door. Dean went and opened it, and his eyes widened in surprise. “Hey!” He opened it wider and Jo entered with Mary. “What’re you two doing here?”

Jo smiled. “I thought this little one might like to see her baby brother.”

Dean stroked Mary’s hair, gesturing to Cas and the baby. “Here he is.” Cas crouched down so Mary could get a look. “Well, what do you think?” He was vaguely aware of Jo quietly leaving to give the family time alone.

Mary peered at the tiny baby. “…..he’s small.”

Cas huffed a laugh. “Yes, he is. So were you.”

“THAT small?” Mary sounded doubtful.

“Yes, that small.”

Mary was quiet for another long moment as she pondered Charlemagne. Finally, she spoke up. “I like him,” she said decisively.

Both of her parents were a bit surprised at how certain she was, but relieved. Mary had been so undecided on the point over the past few months that they hadn’t been certain how she would take this.

“Yea?” Dean asked.

Mary nodded. “He’s cute.”

Dean chuckled. “He is.” He kissed Mary’s forehead. “I love you, kiddo.”

Mary tugged at Dean’s shirtfront until he leaned down so she could kiss his cheek. “I love you, too, Thing Two.”

And there in that room, the four of them together, it didn’t seem possible for them to be happier. At that moment, everything was perfect.

 

**~tbc~**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's probably only one chapter left, or maybe an epilogue. I'm not quite sure. But there will definitely be many more drabbles to come, and possibly more. We'll see.^^ <3


	33. Houses of Pain

“I still don’t see why I can’t go.”

Dean struggled with his tie. He had _been_ struggling it for the past ten minutes. Usually he had no problem with the things (that was Castiel’s department) but tonight he was an anxious mess and he couldn’t get the damn thing straight. He looked to his daughter and immediately his hands stilled. 

The girl had grown so much since her brother had arrived, since Dean had begun writing his play. She was only eight then, a tiny slip of a thing. Now here it was, opening night, and Mary was twelve years old. Her head reached his chest, and she was looking up at him with a pout so similar to his own that he couldn’t help but laugh. Reaching out, he ruffled her hair and, irritated, she swatted at his hand.

“Sorry, kiddo. This isn’t appropriate for kids.”

Mary tilted her head, so like Cas that it was eerie. “But YOU wrote it.”

There came a guffaw, and both father and daughter turned to see Cas striding into the room. “That’s practically a guarantee it’ll be inappropriate.”

“Oh, shut up.” Dean gave his husband a good natured glower. Cas just stuck out his tongue and grinned.

The sudden sound of footsteps rang out, bare feet slapping on the floor as Charlemagne came running into the room. “Dee!”

Dean laughed as the boy threw himself at his father, wrapping his little arms around Dean’s leg. He patted the head of messy brown hair. Honestly, one would swear the boy was actually related to Cas, with that hair. “How you doing, Chaz?” A toothy grin was the only answer he got. He looked up at his husband, who was regarding the two of them fondly. “What.”

“You about ready?”

Dean’s heart began pounding at the thought. “I…” He swallowed with some difficulty. “I can’t get this damn tie straight.”

Cas grinned. “Welcome to my world.”

Dean couldn’t help but laugh at that, shaking his head. He looked and yes indeed, Cas’ tie was crooked. He grabbed hold of it and yanked Cas in for a kiss. “Dork,” he murmured.

“Eww, guys.” Mary was just reaching that age where her fathers’ blatant PDAs were a constant source of embarrassment to her. It only made things more fun for the two of them. 

Dean gave Castiel another kiss, then turned to his daughter. “You should be used to it by now, chickie.” And he knew she was. It was just a passing phase. All she did was wrinkle her nose in response, but it didn’t last, her face falling as she watched Castiel straighten Dean’s tie. (For some reason he could manage _this_ , even though he was utter shit at managing his own tie.) “ _Please_ can I come?”

Dean looked to his daughter, his face soft. “I’m sorry, baby. But you’ll be happier here, anyway. Aunt Charlie and Bela are gonna be here, and Lauryn.”

“Yeah, I guess,” Mary said reluctantly. She still didn’t like the thought of missing her father’s big night.

There came a knock on the door. “Perfect timing!” It was as though the two women were psychic. Cas opened the door to them. “Hey, guys!”

“S’up, bitches?” Charlie gave Cas a high five on the way in, her other arm laden down with movies and junk food.

“Geez, Charlie, got enough stuff?”

“Hope so. I didn’t know if the girls would want to watch the same stuff as Chaz, so I brought enough pop culture for all.”

Dean laughed. “Glad to hear it.” He turned to Mary, taking her face in his hands. “You have fun tonight, you hear?” She nodded, and he kissed her head. “I love you, kiddo.”

“I love you too, Two.”

He crouched down to give Charlemagne a big hug and kiss goodbye as Cas said his goodbyes to Mary, and then they were off.

 

**~*~**

 

Dean sat almost stiffly in the car, hands shifting uncomfortably on the wheel. Castiel had offered to drive but driving relaxed Dean…..though this seemed as relaxed as he was going to get. And it only got worse when they arrived at the theatre.

The crowd was HUGE. Cas didn’t know the last time he’d seen so many people. Clearly word of Dean’s play had spread, and the interest was great.

He could FEEL the tension in the car. Dean was sitting with his back ramrod straight with nerves. “Dean.” The man didn’t move. “ _Dean_.” Cas put his hand on his husband’s shoulder and there was an immediate flinch, Dean jumping beneath the touch, turning to Cas with wide eyes. Cas smiled reassuringly. “You ready?”

Dean swallowed nervously, but nodded. Cas gave his hand a squeeze, raising it to his lips for a gentle kiss. “Then let’s go.”

It was difficult to ignore the attention of those around them as they walked to the theatre. Dean may not have been a world famous author, but he was well-known enough, especially in his home state, and this play had been long in the making, the promotion huge. Dean did his best to ignore all of the attention, and Cas attempted to suppress the smile that came unbidden to his lips at the blush that went all the way to the tips of Dean’s ears.

Sam and Sarah were waiting inside, Sam wearing that big puppy dog smile that Dean had known all his life. He didn’t know that he had ever been so happy to see it as he was right now. “Hey, Sammy.”

“Hey, Dean.” God, he needed a haircut. “You ready for this?”

Another wave of nerves came over him, this one washing over him like a tidal wave as he thought yet again of Sam seeing this work and finding out all the dirty little secrets he had hidden all his life. He had edited items out and changed details here and there (Balthazar had most definitely NOT made the cut) but the play still touched on the beatings he had taken, on how he had hustled pool, and even on his one attempt at prostitution. He was so afraid of Sam hearing all of it. He knew Sam wouldn’t think any less of him but even so, he couldn’t help being scared. “No,” he said truthfully.

Sam chuckled. “I figured as much.” He lifted the two tickets. “We’re not sitting with you?”

Dean shook his head. “I kinda want some space for this one, Sammy.” Sam raised his brows enquiringly. Dean bit his lower lip. “You know this is based mainly on me, right?” Sam nodded. “Well, there’s gonna be a lot in here that you never knew. And I don’t want to be sitting with you when you find out.”

Now _Sam_ looked nervous. “Is it that bad?”

Dean worried his lower lip between his teeth. “It’s definitely not _good_.” Oh shit. Sam looked like he was going to start with the waterworks already. He patted his brother’s shoulder. “Just…..as you watch, try and remember that it’s all over, now….kay?”

Sam nodded, and even managed a tiny smile. “Okay.”

“Mr. Winchester?”

Dean turned at the sound of his name only to see a reporter there. As soon as Dean turned in his direction, the man shoved a recorder in his face. “Can I get a soundbite from you?”

If Dean hadn’t already disliked the man for interrupting him during a personal conversation, the tape recorder shoved in his face definitely did it. “Uh, not now, okay? Kinda in the middle of something.”

“But if you could just—“ but he got no further, for Sarah was now stepping in between the two men, easily cutting off any conversation as she guided the reporter away. Dean grinned at his brother.

“I really love your wife.”

Sam laughed. “Well, I’ve still got you to thank for the fact that she’s even around.” Dean’s matchmaking skills one Christmastime has resulted in Sam and Sarah finally getting back together.

Dean laughed at that. “Damn straight you do.” 

The lights flickered, dimming twice to announce that the play was about to begin, and Dean felt his heart skip a beat. Cas took his hand and gave it a squeeze. Dean looked to find those blue eyes smiling at him, soft and reassuring. “Guess we’d better find our seats, huh.”

“Yea.” Dean looked to his brother one final time. “I’ll see you after the show, yea?” Sam nodded, taking his wife’s hand and turning to go. He was stopped by his brother’s voice calling “and Sam?” Sam looked to him, those hazel eyes so familiar and trusting. Dean somehow managed a smile. “It’s all over.”

Dean could see the words register, see the way Sam tried to swallow back the worry, but he nodded and managed a smile of his own as he turned away.

Castiel’s fingers laced through Dean’s helped to ground him. Dean squeezed, and Cas squeezed back. “Come on,” he said, raising Cas’ hand to his mouth, lips brushing the soft skin in a gentle kiss. “Let’s stop stalling and get in there.”

 

**~*~**

 

Due to Dean being the playwright, their seats were wonderful. They were positioned so that the men had untrammeled vision, but they were also relatively out of the way, so Dean could relax (as much as he was able to under the circumstances), without worrying about anyone’s eyes on him.

Castiel had already read the play (Dean had asked him to, and paced all the while as he did, chewing nervously on a thumbnail), but seeing it performed was an entirely different experience. He was crying ten minutes into it, and the knowledge that this was based on Dean’s life only made him cry harder. Thinking of Dean, little Dean, going without food for days so that there was something for Sam to eat, being backhanded when his dad got home late and drunk and the boys had left their things out on the floor….

It wasn’t all sad. Dean’s life had been peppered with people who showed him that despite everything, life was worth living….and that was the point. In spite of everything he’d been through, Dean had emerged from it all with a positive outlook, always looking for the best in everyone. And his play showed that, and how it had come about. Jodi, for one, who Cas had known about and even met. But there were others who had helped Dean out in many ways, either him alone or both him and Sam, and these spots of brightness kept the story from being too depressing. Thank God, because Cas couldn’t have handled seeing Dean’s life without any happiness in it. 

It had reached the last scene. A boy with a blue scarf wandered onto the stage, looking over tables scattered with odds and ends. A box caught his eyes and he crouched before it, an excited smile on his face as he began looking through the records.

Dean heard a sharp intake of breath from beside him; he glanced at his husband. “You changed the ending,” Cas breathed.

“Yes.” Dean smiled at the expression on Castiel’s face, the happy flush to his cheeks. “You like it?”

Cas didn’t speak, merely nodded; his hand found Dean’s and he linked their fingers, squeezing. Dean looked back to the stage where another boy had made an appearance, this one with his pants cuffed up and a pair of ridiculous, navy blue TOMS sneakers. He had stopped just beside the first boy who, attention caught by the newcomer, looked up to see who it was. Their eyes met and….

 _Magic_.

The lights went down, the play over. Dean’s heart felt like it was in a vice as he waited for the crowd’s reaction. It did not disappoint. No. Rather, it astounded. The burst of thunderous applause was far beyond any reaction Dean ever could have hoped for. He thought he would burst of joy, and Cas was just as happy, the smile lighting up his face. Cas pulled Dean into a kiss, hard and deep, and Dean pressed back, hands fisting in that messy hair as he nipped at his lip. The applause was fading into the background for him as he lost himself in Cas, happier than he could have hoped.

And then the lights came on.

Neither man noticed it at first, too caught up in each other. Then they snapped apart, blinking at the brightness. Dean realized that people were staring at him as they applauded, and he turned bright red. 

Cas grinned. “Your ears are red, babe.” He poked the tip of one. Dean swatted at his hand.

“Shut up.”

Laughing, Cas leaned in and kissed Dean’s cheek, whispering “they love you, Dean.” He could feel the burning flush on his husband’s face. He ran a hand through that short hair, down his jaw, loving the rough stubble. Dean was relaxing under his touch, those green eyes turning to look, to meet Castiel’s gaze. The love he saw there made him smile.

“Come on, baby.” Dean placed a soft kiss on Castiel’s lips. “Let’s go.”

As soon as they reached the lobby, they were mobbed by the crowd and reporters. Dean held tightly to Castiel’s hand but they were being stretched apart, fingers clutching at each other, but they were quickly separated. “Cas!” But the mob was filling in, and Dean couldn’t see him. He felt a moment of panic. He didn’t want to be alone right now, especially not surrounded by all of this crowd, people clamoring for his attention, for a soundbite.

Then, he saw Sam. It was impossible NOT to see Sam. He towered a good six inches above half the crowd. Those big puppy-dog eyes were like a punch to the chest. They were shiny with tears. The sight broke Dean and he could feel his own eyes burning. God, he didn’t want to cry. Not like this. But seeing Sammy crying this way….

Sam had no trouble making his way through the crowd, his huge body breaking through as if it were water, and he pulled Dean right into his arms.

“Sammy.” Dean didn’t know what to say. He awkwardly patted his brother’s shoulder. “Come on, Sammy, don’t….aw, fuck, Sam.”

“I’m sorry, Dean. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, Sammy.” He pulled away to look at his brother, cupping his face, thumbs brushing away the tears. “It’s done, remember?”

“I know, just….I wish I’d known. I wish I could’ve helped.”

“I know you do.” Dean smiled softly. “And you did. Think about the play. Really think about it. About all the parts you were in. Having you with me always made me so happy, Sammy. You’ve always been the most important thing in my life.”

The pain and sadness was leaving Sam’s face. Dean was relieved to see it. “So please….remember that?” 

Sam nodded. “Can we….there’s stuff I’d like to ask you.”

 _Fuck_. Dean had known he would want to, but it would not be fun. Still, Cas had been right. Sam was more than old enough by now. “Anything else you want to know, you can ask me this weekend. You guys are still coming over, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay.” Dean smiled. “This weekend, then.”

Sam nodded. “Okay.” He pulled Dean into another tight hug. “I love you.”

Dean somehow managed to smile, despite his face being mashed against Sam’s shoulder. “I love you, too, Sammy.”

It was only upon being released that Dean even really remembered where they were. He wondered briefly why they hadn’t been swarmed by reporters or others. Then he saw Sarah standing nearby, giving a death glare to anyone who looked as if they were even thinking about approaching. _God_ , he loved that girl.

“Where’s your husband?” Sam asked.

“We got separated.” Dean’s eyes scanned the crowd, looking for that head of messy brown hair. Now that his moment with Sam was done, the reporters were coming forward, people pressing in on him in a smothering mass.

“Mr. Winchester, is it true that this play is based on your own life?”

“Is this your brother here that you were just speaking to? Is he the character ‘Thomas’ from the play?”

“Where is your husband tonight, Mr. Winchester?”

_I’d like to know that myself_ , he thought, eyes still searching, with no success.

“When did you first begin working on the play?”

But Dean could no longer hear their questions, all noise a dim buzz in the background, couldn't see the crowd, everything a blur. All he saw was Cas, those blue eyes smiling at him as they had so many years ago, that day when he had unknowingly met the boy who would save his life, dragging him from his self-loathing and despair and helping him find his way. The boy that he would marry, have children with. The boy he would grow old with. The boy whose enduring love would help him conquer every obstacle that came his way....who he would love forever.

He held out his arms and Castiel stepped right into them, their lips meeting in a soft, deep kiss, holding each other close until all the nosy questions and noisy applause disappeared and nothing remained except the two of them, lost in each other’s embrace.

 

**~*~**

 

Dean lay wrapped in Cas' arms, head pillowed on his chest in the way they had done since the day they'd begun dating. One of Cas' hands was idly stroking his hair, the other holding the newspaper as he read aloud reviews of Dean's play. " _The best show I've seen in years_ ," that gravelly voice recited. " _Dean Winchester could easily be the next Tennessee Williams_."

Dean snorted. "Oh, great." 

Cas looked at him in surprise. "What's wrong with that? Williams was a great playwright."

"And everything he wrote was Goddamn depressing as hell. I'd like to hope that if I ever write another it'll be SLIGHTLY more cheerful than this one."

Cas smiled at him. "Slightly?"

Dean laughed. "Just slightly." He snuggled closer to Cas and Cas obliged, arms tightening around his husband. Then Cas frowned.

" _Cat on a Hot Tin Roof_ isn't too depressing. I mean the _ending's_ happy, anyway."

Dean shook his head, smiling. "You're thinking of the film, Cas. They changed a lot."

"Oh." Cas fell silent, pondering. "Dean?"

"Mm?"

"Do you remember what happens at the end of the film?"

Dean thought about the movie, the way Brick tossed his pillow onto the bed to signify he and Maggie were going to have sex. "Yea, I do."

"I think your next play should be more like THAT."

Dean burst into laughter. "Oh, do you."

Cas nodded. "I do."

In one smooth movement, Dean had rolled over so he was straddling Cas' waist. Cas looked up at his husband in surprise. "Well, why wait until the next play?" Both Dean's smile and voice were sultry as he leaned in close. "Why not get started now?"

Cas' lips curved into a smile as he looked up at Dean, at that smile and those flashing green eyes that had captured him all those years ago. "I think that's a _marvelous_ idea."

 

**~fin~**


End file.
